Teacher’s Lounge Blog

Learn more about teacher preparation, test tips, online learning, professional development, and a variety of other valuable teacher topics.

The Foundations of Reading Exam: Everything You Need to Know

The Pearson NES Foundations of Reading exam is currently used in determining eligibility for teaching reading in the following states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Whether you’re preparing to take this exam in the near or distant future, this blog post will aim to provide you with all the information you need to know. Who needs to take this exam?…

Continue Reading


Avoiding Teacher Burnout in the New School Year

Some polls suggest that over 50% of American school teachers feel extremely overwhelmed due to teacher burnout. The stresses and challenges of teaching are very real, as those who have taught understand very well. What I don’t want to do is tell you how important your job is and implore you to press on for the benefit of your students, as you’ve heard all of this…

Continue Reading


What You Need to Know about Current Teacher Salaries

While a teacher shortage is “old news,” and teacher salaries are slowly increasing every year, one thing is looking up for some potential educators, depending on where you plan to teach. Although the pandemic has created an economic decline, most public education teachers are getting paid more. According to the NEA (National Education Association), the average teacher salary in the United States for the past 2020-2021…

Continue Reading


What Makes a “Good” Teacher?

While you may not campaign for Teacher of the Year, being a good educator is essential. After all, entering this profession assumes a desire to help students learn more about themselves and the world. Those just entering the teaching profession may wonder what characteristics aid in being the best teacher, whether you work with preschoolers or college students. Here are just a few (of many) factors…

Continue Reading


Developing Phonemic Awareness – Rhyming

Children enter the early childhood classroom from various backgrounds, from those who were read to starting from the womb and others having little to no exposure to the written word. Fostering an environment that helps youngsters develop these skills no matter their experience is beneficial for all. Rhyming involves the repetition of ending word sounds. Hearing, identifying, and creating rhymes allows students to understand how words…

Continue Reading


Reading Comprehension and Evaluation – Objective vs Biased Writing

All teacher candidates wonder how to score their best on certification exams, whether they are taking the MTEL, FTCE, Praxis, or another state test. Each certification exam includes a reading comprehension section. Even the best readers often shudder when approaching this subject matter. What if your interpretation is different than what the text means? Can you even prepare for the reading comprehension portion of the exam?…

Continue Reading