Deciding what to self-study focus on..

[choirfarm]

How in the world do you decide what you want to do?? These are the things that are running through my head:

 

1. Need to learn better conducting as I am doing it more. Practice in the mirror. I need to look at the books and dvd's that people suggested.

2. I need to research how to teach math. How to translate it into understandable bits. I used to enjoy math a long time ago. Maybe I could teach myself Calculus... First I just need to figure out how to actually teach quivalent fractions and long division to my 4th grader and Geometry to my 9th grader. ( I can do the work, but seem to be unable to translate it into their language.)

3. Writing- pastor has asked me to put several things down in writing. I hated writing in school. I HATE 5 paragraph papers. What I love is thinking through writing. I have several papers that have been used in devotionals and our church newspaper. Sometimes I can't help writing. I have about 5 pieces that I need to finish.

4. Dad's poetry/art book. Dad passed away 2 1/2 years ago. He was a complicated man. He was a math major who went into computers as it was just starting (anyone else remember their dad coming home with thousands of those punch card things?) He also painted, drew and wrote poetry. I've typed up all his poetry and scanned pictures, paintings to make it into a collection. I can't figure out a title for it. I need to proofread it again and take it somewhere to get it made into a book to send all the relatives. He was brilliant. I think he got a perfect score on his SAT, was class president, football quarterback and got a full scholarship to Yale. He went there for 2 years until his grandparents decided he was getting way too liberal an education and made him transfer to a small, conservative Methodist school. I always felt really dumb compared to my father.....

5. Need to finish up enterering everything into money and printing out our budget reports for the year. Need to redo the budget for the next year and get ready to present at our financial meeting since our car insurance doubled this year when we added a 16 yo driver. ( About to have another one this spring.. I hope it doesn't double again!)

6. Need to help kids finish Christmas shopping and finish shopping for dh.. I hate this... He is so hard to buy for.

7. I need to finish planning my literary analysis class for next semester.

8. I need to look over and plan out what children's choir is going to do. We are doing a small musical and in it they are saving a homeless shelter from being closed down and put on a show in the park. I need to reserve the ampitheater in our park. I need to figure out how to involve our choir kids in the food pantry and local shelter and how they can be a part of that. Talk to all the church committees about making it a celebration in May at the park. Maybe booths for the two ministries and have people bring things for them. Sell hamburger/hot dogs to raise money?? Just brainstorming right now.

9. I need to make a list of activities for middle child and MAKE him pick one to do. He will not be happy... Somehow I need to get him involved in brainstorming, creating but he has no interest.

10. I need to figure out what will be our last few books for English this year. I just finished reading Their Eyes Were Watching God. I don't think that will be one of them, but it was a decent book. I'll definitely read it with my daughter when she gets into high school. I'll be checking out All the King's Men and 1984 to read over Christmas break.

11. I need to work with oldest to get him to make out his activities sheet for college applications. Once his ACT scores are in, I want us to have him sign up for some of the Baylor and TCU overnight type visits that they have for people with good test scores and/or in his major. ( Baylor has a computer/engineering dorm for all ages. You can come for a weekend and let them show you how it is different from the freshman dorm.. TCU has an honors dorm possibility, I think.. I'll have to look.) We need to nail down those weekends and put them on the calendar. The year is already filling up!

 

There are tons of other things going around in my head that I KNOW I don't have time for, but are needed... Our local college needs a music prep academy like the one I am currently taking my daughter to that is an hour away. They already have a high school choir and fabulous piano program. Couldn't they add strings and open it up to the community?? Stop...don't have time to organize something like this..

 

Financial teen Bible study...VERY needed. But just wait until next fall and do it then...

 

The list goes on. I never had trouble being bored.

[regentrude]

This is how *I* would approach the list:

Find out what is important and urgent. (Some things are important but not urgent, other things are urgent, but not important.) What is important and has a hard deadline? Start there.

 

Budget. ( is there an end-of year deadline for changing things?).

College application stuff for oldest.

 

Next, I'd probably rank learning to teach math. Gaps in math are bad and come back to haunt, so that would be a big priority for me.

OTOH, selecting the English books for the remainder of the school year would rank lower down the list for me and not be worth spending too much precious time.

 

Somewhat urgent, but not very important in the big scheme of things: Christmas presents. Set aside short amount of time, accomplish what you can, forget about the rest.

 

Selecting activities for Middle, planning class for next year - have time.

 

Writing, Dad's book - these are things I'd postpone until the pressures of my current season in life have passed.

 

I obviously have no idea how important the improving of your choir related activities are. I assume that's your job? How much in need of improving is your conducting - are you a perfectionist and anybody else would find it just fine, or do you encounter issues? Prioritizing would depend on that.

[choirfarm]

This is how *I* would approach the list:

Find out what is important and urgent. (Some things are important but not urgent, other things are urgent, but not important.) What is important and has a hard deadline? Start there.

 

Budget. ( is there an end-of year deadline for changing things?).

College application stuff for oldest.

 

Next, I'd probably rank learning to teach math. Gaps in math are bad and come back to haunt, so that would be a big priority for me. Ok, so where do I start???

 

OTOH, selecting the English books for the remainder of the school year would rank lower down the list for me and not be worth spending too much precious time. Oh, yes...but what I would find the most fun. I always have books that I am reading. I read while I eat, while I go to the bathroom, etc. Honestly, I'm thinking both of those books would take me a couple of hours each to read. ( I read REALLY fast!)

 

Somewhat urgent, but not very important in the big scheme of things: Christmas presents. Set aside short amount of time, accomplish what you can, forget about the rest. Yes about to leave to mail sil presents, deposit checks, go to the library, make checks out to homeless shelter for fellow docs and drop it off, and let the younger two buy presents. Oldes is spending today and tomorrow with dh: one day in clinic and one in the operating room.

 

Selecting activities for Middle, planning class for next year - have time.

 

Writing, Dad's book - these are things I'd postpone until the pressures of my current season in life have passed. I know, but I've put it off for over 2 years... It has been in its current state that long. I was going to give them as Christmas presents the first Christmas after he died... Maybe for the anniversary of his birthday in June..

 

I obviously have no idea how important the improving of your choir related activities are. I assume that's your job? How much in need of improving is your conducting - are you a perfectionist and anybody else would find it just fine, or do you encounter issues? Prioritizing would depend on that.Job... well, sort of. One I don't get paid for but that I love. I'm probably a perfectionist as the choir thinks I do a good job and I really enjoy it and I have gotten more practice. I just have a few more performances this week and then I'll be off until the middle of January. Hooray![/QUOTE]

 

Thanks so much for the help. I just need someone to talk this over with if that makes sense.

[Amy Jo]

Since there is 1 week, Christmas presents are at the top of my list. For teaching math, I recommend Liping Ma's book. I don't know if it will help you teach the 9th grader, but it helped me figure out how to approach long division.

 

Otherwise, I'm in the same boat. Too much to do, not enough time.