Of Boundaries and Balance, with Lesli Olson

It’s your life; you really can set the goalposts wherever you want them. For those of you who want the top choir in the city, state, division, or country, Choir Ninja is here each week with podcasts to help you reach that goal. And for those of you who want a great choir, a weekly date night with your spouse, and the ability to attend all of your kids’ weekend activities, today Ryan chats with Lesli Olson who shares her method for maintaining a satisfying work/life balance. Listen [Subscribe on iTunes] [Subscribe on Android] Highlight to Tweet: “‘We will be better today than we were yesterday” - Lesli Olson Show Notes: Mom Game vs. Teacher Game: when one is One is on point, the other is probably struggling. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t be perfect in both worlds simultaneously. Understand and label your priorities. For Lesli, her husband comes first, then her children, and then her students. Prioritize spouse: keep a weekly date night, and seek out a group of people who are in similar life circumstances as yourself so that you can learn from and support each other. Prioritize children: No work on the weekends: that is for the kids. Prioritize students: Give everything you have during class, with the knowledge that you aren’t necessarily available after school or on weekends. Then everyone works hard, knowing outside help is limited. And then, let go of the idea of having the best choir in the area/district/state, and focus on having a better today than yesterday; focus on the journey and not the end product with your choirs. Find someone older who can mentor you, find someone younger you can mentor. Give and receive.Letting go of the idea of having the best choir in my area/district/state, and focusing on having a better today than yesterday; focusing on the journey and not the end product with my choirs. Bio: I'm a tatted up mom of four and the wife of a bearded stud and some of my favorite things include choral singing, beer drinking and listening to gangster rap and conservative talk radio. My favorite color is black and I never leave my house without statement lips. I spent a decade teaching elementary music in south Texas, the Bronx and in Anchorage and I am currently in my sixth year directing high school choir in Anchorage, Alaska. Outside of being a mom, I believe the greatest calling on my life is to be a teacher and I am passionate about what I do and the students I teach. I believe everyone can be taught how to sing and that music literacy is far more important than a good choral sound - though the two should definitely be taught hand in hand. As a teacher, I celebrate the successes throughout the journey of learning and try my hardest to not only focus on the end result. I received my bachelors degree in Music Education from Evangel University in Springfield, MO, and my masters degree in Music Education from Texas A & M University - Kingsville in Kingsville, TX. Resources/links Mentioned: Boundaries, by Cloud and Townsend Choir Nation group on Facebook - Going to TMEA? Meet up with other Choir Ninjas! Join the Choir Nation Facebook group for time and location. Patreon - Support the podcast! Sponsored by: Sight Reading Factory (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for 10 free student accounts!) My Music Folders (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for “last column” or best pricing - usually reserved for bulk purchases only!)