Selfie Game on Fleek

In a follow up to last week's #SillySaturday post, here's some video evidence. Balancing a selfie stick on my nose at Penngrove Elementary's Fiesta Familiar

Dino Stomp

I had seen the Dino Stomp at other conferences.

I knew it was coming.

I thought it was going to be lame.

Hey @techmaverick heroes don't care for rules much. That's what @jkloczko told me. Right @amyfadeji ? #cuerockstar #dinostomp

A video posted by Shawn Wisley (@mrwisley) on Apr 30, 2016 at 8:57am PDT

It wasn't.

I really liked the mustache guy with the tiny t-rex arms. I identified with him.

And what WAS cool about doing a dumb dance was this: hundreds of school administrators willing to look silly together in an effort to build community.

THAT was beautiful.

Kids Deserve It

@awelcome

@techninjatodd

@kidsdeserveit

Check them out today. I cried twice today during their presentation at CUE Rockstar Admin.

Coleman will never see this

I simply love Mr. Coleman. And I'm going to gush about him for a bit here, and it's fine...because I know he'll never see it.

And those of you who could...don't share it with him. I don't need him coming and telling me I went too far.

He's a great leader. Why?

• He has a willingness to change, if it's going to be better for kids. Parent conferences were my first chance to see this in a big way. We had an idea, he said, "Let's look into it!"
• He always says "Together, we're smarter than a super computer!"
• He is ALL about kids. Kids flock to him. They know he loves them. They think he's funny. They know he's kind. They know he won't dismiss them out of hand. He's got nicknames for them. He's got pet phrases with them. He calls them in to talk about their grades and then holds them accountable. AND THEY CHANGE. For him. That's his power.
• He reminds us on Fridays that it's Friday. All day.
• He is a great listener. He knows how to diffuse an angry parent (by listening). He knows how to get to the root of a problem (by listening). He knows how to discover new solutions (by listening). He knows how to get a defiant kid to ultimately admit they need to change (by listening). And he knows it. I've heard him say, "You really want to get to know what somebody's all about? Let 'em talk." Let's just say that listening is a skill I could develop.
• He calls me on his drive home just to tell me he appreciates me.
• He knows how to treat people. He won't put up with a fool. He engages people that need love. He silences toxic people by praising what's good in them. He lets some kids have a really long leash (because most people in those kids' lives are beating them down). He lets me play devil's advocate...and pushes back (and I don't feel threatened). He is constantly frustrating adults by loving kids extravagantly...I think he knows we shouldn't always give kids "what they deserve". If you're not pulling your weight, he doesn't hold back. I've let him down a few times...I'll tell you what, that's a pretty good motivator to not do it again!
• He buys me mixed nuts from Walmart sometimes. No peanuts!

I simply love him. #ThankfulThursday

Brazen

"...underneath all of the parts of us that are wrecked and wounded and flawed and human is God-in-us." -- Leeana Tankersley, Brazen

I have a great friend who is an author. She has written three books, and lots of blog posts. I don't have any evidence that she has any other male readers (her latest book, especially, is specifically targeted to women), but I don't mind. Her stuff just hits me at my core. She often puts into words exactly how I feel about something that I have not been able to express well. I might even say that reading her words sometimes crystallizes even for ME what I feel.

In any event, I've been doing a lot of hard soul work lately (think half-hour daily homework for the Bible-based recovery group I attend). And one of the concepts that I struggle with mightily is my identity in Christ. I feel like I choose to label myself a sinner. And I reject the notion that I am good at my core. I feel more like a wretch that is only worthy of God's love because of that very love he has for me (if that makes any sense).

So this idea that at my very Center is God...it's hard to accept. It's hard to grasp. In fact, I think perhaps my Adversary wants desperately for me to not believe it. If I can actually wrap my head around this idea, I get the notion that it might just change everything.

And Lord knows...I could go for that.

"Goodness lies deeper in the heart of man's nature than sin, which came later and entered from the outside. Goodness lies deeper in man because God put himself there. It was very good! Goodness is intrinsic to man's nature; sin is not. Sin is the corrupting virus that has temporarily corrupted goodness."

-- Michael Phillips, A God to Call Father

A Newsletter for the Digital Age

What you're seeing below is the first digital newsletter published at Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Selma, CA. I work there as the Program Manager, and this has been a dream of mine for two years.

Why a digital newsletter? Well, we're fighting the battle of kids not taking things home when we give it to them (better said: things disappearing into the black holes that are called backpacks). Printing and mailing a traditional newsletter would get cost-prohibitive quickly, and besides...

*This digital form has clickable links! In this issue, that means links to the athletics website, links to the testing calendar, and a link to the Spanish version!

*We can send this multiple ways: we sent via Remind. When we get our email list up-and-running next year, we'll do that, too. We can put a link (and QR code) on progress reports that are mailed home. We can post it on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We even print a couple copies to have in the front office (nobody really needs it, but we provide it).

*I can include high quality photos! I didn't take full advantage of it in this issue, but that's pretty neat. The little, grainy photos shared in most newsletters aren't that great. In this format, you can really see the detail!

*The ability to update after sending is nice: If I've got a date wrong or even want to add a whole new slide, it's super easy! Cool, huh!

10 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset

That's it. Read it. I told you I wasn't going to write a full-blown essay every time.

• Acknowledge imperfections: Observe where you went wrong.
• View challenges as opportunities.
• Use learning instead of failing
• Cultivate a sense of purpose
• Welcome constructive criticism
• Learn from other people's mistakes
• Celebrate actions rather than your traits
• Understand the relation between learning and brain training
• Keep on creating new goals
• Mind the time with patience and consistency

I sin. Do you?

1 John 1:8 - "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

The obvious application is in the recognition of our own sin. The idea that God knows anyway, and I'm better off if I simply acknowledge my sin so that I'm in the same place as God so he can work with me more easily.

But what's resonating for me with this verse right now is the idea of transparency and vulnerability. And thinking about it in the workplace environment from the point of view that we all mess up. ALL OF US. And people that can admit this are attractive to me. People that cannot admit their mistakes really get under my skin.

Just own up to it. It has often been said that Americans are a forgiving people (think Bill Clinton). If you just admit that you screwed up, we can all work on a resolution together! But if you dig in your heels and refuse to acknowledge you've made a mistake, you're just making the situation worse. Now...if you do this ALL THE TIME? You're building an army of people who can't trust you.

Now...as I'm typing this, I think it's obvious that I'm thinking about one person in particular. And I am. But I'm also feeling convicted that this must be me, too (even though I claim transparency as one of my personal strengths). But there's the old adage, "If you spot it, you've got it." I wonder what it is about this behavior irritating me so much...what does it reveal about me? I'll have to chew on that for a bit...

Circus Freak

Have you ever seen me balance something on my nose/face? I have no idea why I possess this skill, but what I tell people is that I went to school in Kansas...and there wasn't a ton to do there. That might have played a role, but surely I was able to do this trick in high school...but the fact is, I can't remember doing it back then (and I think that would have been a go-to for the attention-seeking teenager I was, don't you think?).

In any event I can balance lots of things on my face. The longer the item the easier (so, it's easier to balance a baseball bat than a drinking straw, for instance). I've done folding tables (with a near-disastrous outcome once), student desks, chairs, a crazy-long (25+ foot) piece of PVC pipe, sticks, branches, poster boards...you name it. It's a pretty good party trick, but elevates to an art form in front of an assembly-sized audience.

Side note: I also have the ability to balance all these objects from my hand, my elbow, my knee, or my foot. Weird, huh.

Some of you may be aware of the now-retired infamous "quarter trick". I can shove a quarter up one nostril and make it disappear from view (so that if you look up my nose, you see nothing). Then, I make a big production about shoving a quarter up the other nostril. Then, with a fair amount of (totally unnecessary) snorting and hacking, pretend that I'm moving the quarter (via my septum?) to the side where I have the original quarter stashed. I blow my nose with that nostril visible, and the hidden quarter pops out halfway. I then pull it out the rest of the way, place it in my mouth for cleaning, and offer it to the crowd.

It always blows the crowd away (they're grossed-out, but fascinated). I performed the trick once as a chaperone at a Grad Night at Disneyland to the in-line crowd of hundreds (on the outdoor plaza for the line before it enters the hallways to go down to the entrance). It slayed. It was, at the time, one of the proudest moments of my life. I retired the trick at the request/suggestion of my wife. I do think it has helped my reputation. And, since I know Renee Newlove is one of the very few people actually reading this, I feel safe recounting the story/trick here.

Carnitas Snack Shack

My #FollowFriday for today? Instagram: @carnitassnacks

My favorite dish EVER is the poutine here. My good friend Liz Baird helps run the show there, and turned me on to adding sliced serrano peppers. I recommend it.

I also love their pork belly (sweet Asian glaze) and their most famous item, the Triple Threat sandwich (pork schnitzel, carnitas, and bacon). I've never had anything bad there, but I also just keep going back for my favorite three.

Also, if I'm in San Diego going to Carnitas Snack Shack, then I'm probably also seeing my good buddy/mentor Dave Rios. (What's up, dude?)

Anyway, if you want to occasionally drool on your phone, follow them!

An endo w/ good bedside manner

It's #ThankfulThursday , and I'd like to share my gratitude for my new endocrinologist. His name is Charles Morales, and he is an Endocrine Nurse Practitioner and Certified Diabetes Educator at Sierra Endocrine Associates.

I switched to him because I was really unhappy with my prior endocrinology appointments. I won't be petty and name names, but I simply wasn't receiving quality care from the woman I was seeing for diabetic care previously.

Look. It's no secret that I am not the most successful type-1 diabetic. I have struggled to get my numbers under control, and that's MY responsibility. (Though I will note, for the record, that having a chronic disease like diabetes sucks. It's no fun.) But prior to my switch, I felt like I was being chastised (shamed, even) when I went in for periodic check-ups. So I took care of myself in a way that I'm proud of: I made a change.

And I'm so happy that I did! What I appreciate about Charles is that he wants to help me get better. And the path he has chosen feels a lot like I'm his student, and he's a really good teacher. He has allowed me to attempt my own diabetes regulation in the ways that I thought would work best for me. He has gently led me down a road where my numbers are (kindly) presented to me in such a way that I simply cannot deny that my way is not working. Then he proposes a new path. But he doesn't grab my pump from me and adjust my numbers. He teaches me. He explains why I might want to consider another way. He answers my clarifying questions, recognizing that I wasn't challenging him by asking them...just seeking to understand better.

He has taught me more in our three appointments than I have learned from an endo in quite a while. Also, he noticed something in my bloodwork that led to treatment of another condition I have that had gone undiagnosed for who-knows-how-long! He taught me some next-level pump tricks...stuff that I totally should have been shown before.

I suppose I still can't say with certainty that he has improved my diabetes numbers...but for some reason, I feel very confident that things are looking up!

Progress Not Perfection

If my understanding is correct, this gem comes to us from the world of 12-step recovery. As someone who was raised to relentlessly pursue perfection, this phrase has been so important for me to grasp onto.

In a paradoxical way, when I strive for perfection, I make less progress than when I let go of perfection. The stress of being perfect paralyzes me into inaction. When I work, instead, to get better, I can reach smaller milestones which snowball into tremendous progress over time.

In poking around for the exact source of this idea, I came across the original quotation from the book called Alcoholics Anonymous (sometimes called The Big Book by those in recovery):

“No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.”

I love the idea contained herein. "We are not saints." I need to remember that. I need to give myself a break. NOT AN EXCUSE...a break. I'm not perfect. I won't ever BE perfect! And if I accept that, I can work on growing. On improving. On doing my best without the pressure of perfection. Good stuff.

Shake Up Learning

Want to dip your toes into the learning? Check out the blog.

http://www.shakeuplearning.com/blog/

Want to dive in deeper? Be amazed at the curated resources.

http://www.shakeuplearning.com/resources/

When I present about GAFE tools to teachers, I point them to this site.

MY latest nugget from her: I've been switching between my Google accounts all wrong (and so have you). I fixed that today, and I already love it. No, I'm not going to tell you how; go to her site and figure it out!

False Growth Mindset

Is your understanding of #growthmindset a little off? Check it against some of Carol Dweck's clarifying thoughts: https://t.co/XoAy6lebqI

— Shawn Wisley (@mrwisley) April 18, 2016

The article in Edutopia

Carol Dweck, if you don't know, is the original expositor of the idea of growth mindset that has caught fire in the word of education (at least in the twitterverse!). She addresses some of the subtle twists that have started happening out in the wild, and offers some redirection that would lead an educator to deeper affinity with her ideas.

I'm pretty sure I've guilty of a couple of these mis-steps! But her clarifications really resonated with me. Enjoy the read!

Romans 7:18

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out."

This is the current memory verse for the Bible study group I'm a part of on Monday nights. Some days, it's easy to agree with this verse without reservation. Other times, I get into a little self-debate about the "nothing good dwells in me" part. [I'll remind the reader that I have NO training in exposition or anything like it. These are untrained thoughts.] I feel like Paul is writing this with the understanding that he means in me apart from God. When submitted to God, I don't think this is true any longer. But submission to God, as I am acutely aware, is not an automatic state even after conversion.

Warren Wiersbe BE Bible series commentary:

The legalist says, “Obey the law and you will do good and live a good life.” But the law only reveals and arouses sin, showing how sinful it is! It is impossible for me to obey the law because I have a sinful nature that rebels against the law. Even if I think I have done good, I know that evil is present. The law is good, but by nature, I am bad! So the legalist is wrong: The law cannot enable us to do good.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

I've always loved words. My current bathroom reading, for instance, is a dictionary of word origins. I'm reading it word for word. I try to read it regularly.

I forget when I learned the word floccinaucinihilipilification. But it stuck. It's the longest non-scientific word in the English language. Which, of course, begs the question:

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis...that's what.

Floccinaucinihilipilification is the act of determining something to be useless.

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is a coal miner's lung disease.

pneumono - related to the lungs

ultramicroscopic - really small

silico - dust

volcano - volcanic

coniosis - related to inflammation (also pulled from the pre-existing and more common pneumonoconiosis)

I was a bit flummoxed to learn tonight that my pronunciation of both of these words was slightly off. I'm giving myself grace, though, because the "push-this-button-to-hear-the-word-pronounced-correctly" button didn't exist in my adolescence.

#FollowFriday Amy Fadeji

This is my favorite picture of Amy (she's in the lower left corner in salmon), because this is the infectious love for life that I hope to encourage in my staff!

So...just a little bit of internet love for one of my favorite people that I hardly know, Amy Fadeji. Here's her bio from the conference she's presenting at RIGHT NOW (#Lead3):

Amy Fadeji is the principal of Penngrove Elementary in Petaluma, California. In her fourth year as principal, she continues to find herself reaching out to educators across the country to build a growing network of innovative and inspiring colleagues. After attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and later the University of Southern Mississippi, Amy taught second and third grades for seven years in Mobile, Alabama and San Anselmo, California before launching her career in administration. Amy finds great joy spending her days supporting students and teachers in their learning adventures. She is passionate about modeling and encouraging risk-taking, fostering collaboration, and she delights in helping other administrators and teachers do the same! You can follow Amy on Twitter (@mrsfadeji) or read her latest blog post at mrsfadeji.blogspot.com.

On a personal note, I met Amy at a #LeadWild session at a GAFE Summit last summer. I think we bonded over the fact that I heckled her just minutes into her session. She's a firecracker, and has an energy that I possess in spurts (when I'm on stage), but she is like the Energizer Bunny! She has been such a great encouragement to me. She chats with me on Voxer to bounce ideas about admin stuff and my GAFE presentation. She pushes me to take risks and find joy in every day. She's a great cheerleader to have in your corner!

We share in common: a faith that guides us, a love of Spanish (though I'm gathering I'm a bit more proficient than her in which we are both amazingly fluent), an affinity for Dave Ramsey, a love of techie stuff (but I think more a love of kids), a desire to love on our teachers, and dexterity with a selfie stick.

The biggest disagreement we have is over glitter. She's got it all wrong. #teamnoglitter

You can find her on Twitter: @mrsfadeji

Instagram: @amyfadeji

Voxer: I don't know how to explain how to find people on Voxer

#LeadWild: follow this hashtag...you'll be inspired and nudged

It was Amy's birthday yesterday, so why not give her the gift of a new follower!

Sparkling Water

It's #ThankfulThursday, and I just want to check in with everybody about how grateful I am for sparkling water.

When I did the Whole30 a couple of years ago, sparkling water was a life-saver! I had to cut out sugar 100%, and sparkling water was my soda replacement.

I pretty much love it all. LaCroix cherry limeade is probably my favorite, if you forced me to choose, but it's really all good.

One time, I went to a smokehouse/bar in the Dogpatch district of San Francisco (amazing Wagyu beef rib, by the way), and they had sparkling water on tap. Like, instead of just regular water coming out of the wall for free, I could get sparkling water. Basically, this is why we are doing the Dave Ramsey system to get out of debt. Someday, my house will have sparkling water on tap.

And a lemon tree. Sparkling water + ice + lemon slice = perfection.

Today Matters

This is a major struggle for me. I want to plan for the future. And, unfortunately, I hang onto the past way too much. All too often, I let today get away from me. At work. In my spiritual walk. With my kids.

As my former pastor back in San Diego (Matt Hammett) often says, "All truth is God's truth." The principle noted in the John Maxwell quote above can be found in the Bible, too.

Matthew 6:34 New Living Translation (NLT)

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."

Chromecart Calendar

I'm like Kip. I love technology. Always and forever.

But my favorite thing about technology is how it can be leveraged to improve people's experiences. And today's #TechTuesday post is all about that. When I moved up to the Fresno area and began working the Selma Unified School District, one of the first impressions I was able to make was with my idea to digitize our Chromebook Calendar.

If I understand correctly the system that was in place before my arrival, the former program manager would field in-person requests from teachers and hand-write them on a paper calendar. So, a teacher would tell her what dates they wanted to check out on of the school's Chromecarts (a rolling cart that holds 32 Chromebook laptop computers). She would check availability on that date, write them in, and so forth. I think that she probably fielded requests from teachers after she had run out of carts, and had to deal with their disappointment face-to-face (that idea gives me the heebie-jeebies).

Knowing that one of the cool features of Google Calendar (exclusive to Education accounts) was the ability to make appointment slots, I hatched a plan.

I created 12 appointment slots (for the 12 Chromecarts) for each school day in my own account (in a sub-calendar called ALMS Chromecart Reservations).

It's just like creating a calendar Event, but in education accounts an additional option is available to create an Appointment Slot

I made the appointments for hour-long increments throughout the day, even though the reservation is actually for the entire school day

I did this so the appointments would be visible individually (not stacked 12-deep on top of each other).

I shared that calendar with the staff

I created a Program Manager website, where I created a page for the calendar

On that page, I explained the new process

Teachers visit the calendar page, look on the date(s) they want

They click an available appointment, add their name and room number, and voila!

The appointment is now visible in two places: the ALMS Chromecart Reservations calendar, but also on their own Google Calendar!!!

To be honest, it took several teachers a couple times to get comfortable (not a bad learning curve) simply because nobody else ever uses this appointment slot feature. But after that, it's been working pretty much without a hitch for close to two years now! I'd love to be a 1:1 school and render this calendar unnecessary, but until then it's nice to have a good system in place.

Relentless Restlessness

Relentless Restlessness, by George Couros <-- read this

Just to be clear, I completely accept the fact that I am still not a content creator. I am a curator, for now. Perhaps, over time, I will develop into a legitimate creator...but for now this is my baby step.



I know that I'm always trying to improve. In fact, it's one of my core values, and it stems from my Strenthsfinder theme of Restorative. I hope that I can continue to be a part of a school culture that values continual improvement. It's one of my major personal professional goals for next year: to do what I can to empower teachers and fellow administrators to focus on this.

Quick admission: this can turn quickly and seditiously to perfectionism and toxic shame...for me. More on that in a future post, but for now...go back and actually click on the George Couros blog link (or just click here) and read it. Thanks!

#ScriptureSunday Micah 6:8

So, after today...I'll generally be choosing a verse that spoke to me in my quiet time at some point during the week. But for my first #ScriptureSunday, I want to share one of my favorites.

In general, I'll try to avoid typing a sermon...I'll try to limit it to some quick thoughts and leave it at that. And even today, I'm going to TRY to not go too long.

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,

   and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
   and to walk humbly with your God.

My main thought is this: that's impossible. At least, in myself, that is not possible. I don't do what is right (nor act justly). I don't love mercy (I mean, I love it when applied toward me, but not so much for others). And I don't walk humbly. And not with God, either. Of course, I have my good moments. I'm not beating myself up here, just acknowledging that these words don't sound like good news to me.

But I don't think we're supposed to try to do all these things in our own power. I've been on this spinning orb long enough to know myself. And I'm still getting to know God, but what I have learned is that He knows I cannot live up to His standard. That's exactly why he sent His son. That's why Jesus died for us. Not so that I can now earn my salvation (as I believe I was taught), but precisely because we are not good enough.

So I have to admit that the genesis of this post is rooted in a little bit of contempt for my Christianese-speaking brethren who quote this verse like it's their motto for how they live, or something. And I'll grant you that this admission probably reveals some work I need to do on myself. But when I read Micah 6:8, I'm reminded of an old Out of the Grey song (they were my jam in my early Christianity) called "The Weight of the Words." I'm not sure I'm going to be putting it back in my playlist (it's a bit dated), but I'm going to pop this here for you...maybe the lyrics will mean something to you:

The Weight of the Words - Out of the Grey

Thanks be to God for his great gift.

Face Swap

It's #SillySaturday! So here's a couple of Face Swaps in my family.

My 9-year-old Eden and me.

Moral of the story: maybe I should shave my head!

My mother-in-law's face with my hair looks like a televangelist.

The happy couple. This WAS one of my favorites of us. Now it's ruined.

#FollowFriday @justintarte

When I finally dipped my toes into the Twitter stream, I stumbled upon Justin Tarte. If I'm not mistaken, I think he was a German teacher (so I probably found him through foreign language teachers' hashtag...maybe #flteach). Then he became a principal, and this was at the same time I was beginning my studies to become an administrator myself.

In any event, he's one of the first people I really paid attention to on Twitter. He has always been amazingly prolific (multiple posts per day), but his CONTENT was always so good! Check it out for yourself:

https://twitter.com/justintarte

Just one quick example...leadership lessons.

#Leadership lesson today: Be sure to first check with those who will be most affected before making a decision.

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) April 7, 2016
What draws me to people like Dr. Tarte is his intense focus on what's right for kids. His feed also constantly places the latest in educational thought and leadership in my face. After all, that's still what pulls me to Twitter most -- the chance to clarify my thinking, to encounter expert opinions, and to be challenged whenever I choose to log in.

Do you love chili dogs like I do?

Every Thursday, I'm going to share something (or someone) I'm thankful for. And I realize that it's somewhat offensive to have my first item be chili dogs. It should probably be my wife, or my kids, or something like that. But I've been promising a post about chili dogs for quite a while now, and it's time.

Chili dogs are one of my favorite things. Allow me to rank my favorites here (I'm sure there will be omissions, but this is as-of-right-now). But first, a few words. I don't really care if you disagree with me, because you're wrong. I'm learning a lot of humility in most of my life right now (trust me...I'm being humbled)...but not in the realm of chili dogs. Chili dogs don't have ketchup on them. EVER. If you do that, you're disqualified from being trusted by me in any capacity. Onions are out for me, but allowed for others. I can see how they would add to the experience, but I simply hate onions. #theymakemegag

The chili itself cannot have whole beans. I like chili in a bowl, too...and that can have beans. But NOT on my hot dog. Chili beans are totally a thing here in the Central Valley (and on the Central Coast). There's a place called Frank's in San Luis Obispo that has so much potential. But beans in their chili means they're disqualified from my list. What about cheese? I don't mind it at all, but it's not necessary. And please don't try to be fancy and put shredded cheddar on there; I prefer a slice of American. But again...cheese isn't even needed.

Just TONS of mustard. Let's get to the list!

Wienerschnitzel:

Chili 9/10 • Dog 4/10 • Price 8/10

This place is legitimately so good. The fact that it's a big chain does NOT downgrade it in any way! Don't bother upgrading to a premium dog. The chili actually goes better with the cheap dog anyway. I always feel ripped off paying for the cheese here, so I avoid it. But if I'm ever in pig-out mode, the 5-for-$5.55 (or whatever it is now, they keep raising it!) is a great deal. A close second to my love for chili dogs is my love for corn dogs, so I usually go 3 chili dogs, 2 corn dogs. And if the mini corn dogs are on sale, they're legit. PRO TIP: both in Santee and in Fresno, my nearest Wienerschnitzel is next door to a Costco. I have been known to get a cup of chili and put it on a Costco dog. #yum

Triangle Drive In:

Chili 9/10 • Dog 8/10 • Price 5/10

This is a Fresno institution. I want to be cool and tell you to go to the original location on Belmont, but it's legitimately sketchy. I don't mind going there myself, but if I'm taking my girls (who LOVE chili dogs, by the way! #parentingwin), I'm heading to the MUCH cleaner, much more family-friendly Barstow location. The chili dog is great. Premium beef dog, toasted bun, great chili...so good. I was surprised to discover that their chili actually has pieces of bean in it; real fine, small pieces. The flavor is great. I'm pretty sure they prepare it on site every day! I don't like it with the shredded cheddar (I just have to remember to ask for a slice), and the price is hefty ($6). But it's totally worth it.

Chuck Wagon:

Chili 10/10 • Dog 6/10 • Price 10/10

The Chuck Wagon is another gem in the Fresno area. It's actually located in Sanger,
which puts it more than a half-hour from my house (but only 15 minutes from my work!). This place is so old-school. Order at a window from a lady who has probably been working there for 20 years. The dog is a foot-long, but it's a cheap dog. Thankfully, the price you pay reflects that! (Something like $2.25 a dog.) It was here that I overheard another customer requesting dill pickle slices on their chili dog. That's been a game-changer for me. Thank you, random stranger! For about a year, I thought their chili had beans in it, so I avoided it. I was just flat-out wrong (I think I confused myself with a bad experience with onions my first time there). In any event...you just need to go there!

Taylor Brothers:

Chili 6/10 • Dog 3/10 • Price 10/10

The beauty of a place in Visalia. So I really shouldn't have been here as many times as I have, but it's just the sort of establishment I want to support. It's a tiny shack in the heart of downtown Visalia. The old lady working the register has probably worked there since the 70s. The signage is gorgeous! The hot dogs are cheap (Farmer John). They come with chili, mustard, and relish. Relish with chili?!? Yup. It totally works. They're super cheap, so I usually order 3 or 4. They come wrapped in thin paper and packed into a little box. No frills (no fries!). Just bags of chips. And they don't even offer Frito boats (a mistake, says me). In any event, if I'm ever in Visalia, I'm stopping for Taylor Bros.

Rocket Dog:

Chili 6/10 • Dog 10/10 • Price 7/10

Oh...I didn't mention this earlier, but another thing that doesn't belong in hot dog chili is vegetables. I know that some of you like those green peppers in your chili. But not me. I love Rocket Dog. They've got a great beer selection (multiple sours, even!). The other stuff on the menu is great. I'm just not about their chili. But go, for the love of all things sausage-centric!

Tommys:

Chili 11/10 • Dog 10/10 • Price 8/10

If you've made it this far, you are to be rewarded with the answer to the burning question: who makes THE ABSOLUTE BEST chili dog on the planet? It's Tommy's. I was introduced to Tommy Burgers at the original location on Beverly and Wilshire in Los Angeles by an adventurous scoutmaster named Ron Plumb. As a teen, I'd pound several of their chili burgers, and it was heaven. Tommy's chili is the kind that turns your hands orange. It has no discernible pieces of meat (relax, it's just fine ground), but it's the best chili ever. And they're not shy about putting a ton on your burger. Fast forward to some year in the early 2000s...Tommy's decided to add chili dogs to their menu. And they did it right. I can't remember right now which brand (Caspers? Sabrett's?), but they went with a hot dog in a natural casing. You know...the kind that pop when you bite into them. So you've started with the best chili ever, put it on one of the best hot dogs ever, then put mustard and pickles with it? The best. If you argue, you're wrong. If I had tons of money, I'd start a Tommy's franchise up here in Fresno. For now, I'll just have to wait for my occasional trips down to SoCal.

Others that deserve mentioning:

Cincinnati-style: This is a style all its own. It's a bean-less chili with hints of chocolate and cinnamon. They put the chili on spaghetti, too, but I'm all about the coneys. They're super-cheap, tiny little hot dogs piled high with a super-fine cheddar cheese. They're all good (Gold Star, Camp Washington, Skyline), but my favorite is the Camp Washington variety; it's just a touch spicier than the others. A little known fact about this style of chili is that it's Greek in origin (which leads me to my other gem for you...order the greek salad!)


Raleigh area: This doesn't really belong on this list but if you ever find yourself in Raleigh, North Carolina, ask your host to take you out for slaw dogs. Side note: one of the best things on the planet are the hush puppies in this area.

Sonic: Not. Worth. It. Get some tots and a Diet Cherry Limeade, but skip the dogs. That being said, I'll still get a footlong coney on occasion, but #meh.

7-Eleven: No. Just do mustard and relish here.

That's it. The long-promised treatise on chili dogs. Done.

When opportunity knocks...

Will I be ready?



I have a profound respect for former UCLA coach John Wooden. It's cool that his teams won all those championships, but that's not what catches my attention. It's how people talk about his character.

If you want to take yourself to school, just google John Wooden quotations. As for me, I've purchased a biography about the man, and am looking forward to learning from his example. (To be honest, though, that book is probably 10th on my current reading list. I'm making progress, but ever-so-slowly.)

As for today's quotation, I think my takeaway is this. I catch myself often looking for the next opportunity...what exactly would be the best job for me? Do I want to be a vice principal? Do I want to move to a district job? Do I want to strike out in an entrepreneurial move and do presentations and consulting? If I get too caught up in those thoughts, I can miss the everyday chances to grow and learn. The work that I'm doing NOW is super-important. I have opportunities each and every hour to sharpen my skills, to learn about people and relationships, to develop my character and habits to be the type of person that will be afforded the opportunity (when it knocks) to show who I am.

Practically, I think this is a good reminder for me to look ahead on my calendar! I've been in my job as program manager for almost two years now. I'm learning the rhythm. I am getting a handle on what tasks need to be done in which months. I know that I need to look ahead and think about what budget expenditures were made LATE last year, and anticipate them for THIS year...

There are Dave Ramsey personal finance implications, too.

What does the quotation jog in you?

Need help? Ask Alice.

Every Tuesday, I'm going to share a tech tip or resource with you. Today, I'm sharing

http://alicekeeler.com/

Alice Keeler is an absolute machine. She is a prolific tweeter and blogger. She curates resources and tips an a crazy rate. I would get all judge-y and make a quip about how she must not have a life, but I have seen the evidence the she does, indeed, seem to balance it all (kids, teaching, presenting, constant tweeting)! I honestly don't know enough about her to write any more here, but that's okay...what I'm sharing is her website and her twitter handle.

If you ever have a question about Google Sheets or Google Classroom, just tweet her: @alicekeeler She'll respond within minutes. Actually, before you hit her up with a tweet, just check out her website! The answer is probably there. Her stuff is just awesome. For instance, just today, she tweeted out a link to her blog post demonstrating how to concatenate. I happen to have known this trick (heck, I might have learned it from her), but I just love it! Concatenating is smashing two things together. Like...I have a column of student id numbers, and want to create a column of their email addresses. Concatenate the ID numbers with @selmausd.org...BOOM. Done.

In any event, check her out. On Twitter AND on her website. On a side note, I was tickled when I saw that she joined the Dave Burgess empire. Love that guy! #tlap

Start Now

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

Of course I should have started earlier. Of course I could be in a totally different place by now if only I had started back then.

But if I don't start now, I'll be in the same place tomorrow...and I don't want to be. Left alone, this thought has so many potential applications, that I hate to limit YOUR interpretation with my understanding. But...

I can start working out. Now.

I can try that new technology idea. Now.

I can eat better. Now.

I can start blogging. Now.

I can be more intentional about date nights with my wife. Now.

And, by the way, I had to go back and change my wording (as an act of self-care). I had initially written "I need to". And I felt the shame. I felt the pressure. And that's not what I want from this idea right now. I want possibilities. I want positivity. I want to start now.