Rigor Workshop at Univeristy of South Alabama

      One of my favorite quotes from the movie Pearl Harbor was this: "There is NOTHING stronger than the heart of a volunteer."  When educators come to workshops on their own free will when they do not have to... and during their  vacation..... to gain knowledge and understanding of current topics, there is nothing stronger than that. 
Let me just say that I thoroughly enjoyed sharing with all of the wonderful teachers of Alabama today.  Mobile and Baldwin County teachers are some of my favorites.  I feel like it is a family reunion each year.  I hope that you are were able to take away something fresh and fun for your classroom.  Rigor is a very hard concept to grasp but it is one that is essential to robust and effective instruction. 
I brought my camera but I forgot to take pictures......  THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!!  I will be back in July presenting workshops for small groups and whole group comprehension/common core standards so I will hope to see you all again there!!  I will post our scope and sequence VERY soon.  If you are signed up to follow me, you will receive an email once it is posted.  It will include: weekly stories, phonics progression, high frequency word progression, phonemic awareness weekly/bi-weekly skills, writing and comprehension target skills, and our weekly/bi-weekly social science units.   Blessings to you all and I will see you again very soon!!

My New Teachers Pay Teachers Store..... Whoo HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

 Let the BELLS RING OUT!!!!!  Finally........... I am on TPT!!  Whoo hoo and kudos to everyone who has gone before.  I come to the altar and confess that it takes LOTS of time to make these packs but I am so excited!!  I am starting slow, and hoping to add more in the future.  The packs that are there now include:

1.  Letter Font Sort
2.  Before and after alphabet sheet (freebie) :)
3.  Scott Foresman/High frequency word pack (One of my favorites)
4.  Comprehension pack (Another favorite)
5.  Having a Ball with Beginning Sounds
6.  Sentence Books using standard high frequency words (from Dolch word list)

** I will post pictures of the packs soon**

I have a friend/co-K teacher that is helping me with this (Shari Robinson) and we have worked together for a few weeks putting these packs together. Our goal is simple: In each pack, EVERY page can be used and everything will be made with cost in mind.  Teachers like to get the most BANG for their bucks and pinch their pennies!!     Just search Courtney McBride if it does not come up after you click the tpt button and let me know what you think. 
                                           

Summer Summer Summer Time and a little VACAY!!

Florida Summer Vacation with my 

PRECIOUS Family/SEUSS LAND!!

 Our school got out last Friday.  WHOO HOOO!!!  I had a little break between school getting out and VBS starting.  So we decided on a very last minute whim to take a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando.  If you have never been.... it is worth going.  Especially if you have boys that are a little older.  Each afternoon, we traveled back to the resort and sat by the pool.  It was great.  It had a pirate ship right in the middle of the pool with a slide located inside.  My boys were in heaven.  

My favorite part of Universal was "Seuss Land."  Any character, book, movie, etc. that you can think of was represented.  It was like teacher heaven.  And look at the shirt that I found in the gift shop at the end of the Cat in the Hat ride.... tooooo cute huh??

My youngest "whittle" guy

 LOVES the grinch.  Most kids may find him scary, but NOT him.  He and LOTS of other characters were there just hanging out in Seuss Land.  Pictures just do not describe.  You just have to see for yourself.