My dad is also a cook-by-the-seat-of-the-pants type guy. He's just a natural. Usually he remembers what he did though.
My curriculum (such as it is) includes - (1) how to mix and bake a typical drop cookie (and add different ingredients); (2) how to make biscuits (necessity in the South); (3) how to prepare and roast a whole chicken; (4) how to grill steaks and chops over charcoal and how to broil them in the oven; (5) how to boil rice (and how to add various things such as sauteeing the rice grains in butter first, adding chicken stock to the water, etc.); (6) cooking green beans or any other tender green vegetable by quickly parboiling and then sauteeing with onions, garlic, mustard seed, etc. (7) the whole egg deal, with variations - scrambled eggs, omelettes, French toast, pancakes, etc. My father teaches them how to make loaf bread, that's his particular area of expertise. And they have known how to mix and dress a good salad since they were 6 years old.
Do you know how to make a basic roast sticky chicken? It is something to do when you're home all afternoon.
I am going to copy your list and work through that. Maybe we can come up with other ideas, too. I also make a nearly plain jane roll. I saw nearly, because I like to add honey. Would like to say how much, but I just add it until it looks right. Maybe 1/2 a cup. The only time I messed it up wasn't my fault, but the fault of the oven I used. I was so upset, because that batch was the best rising I have ever gotten out of a batch of rolls. I had fellows wanting to try them when they hadn't been cooked yet. The tops burned, but the inside was fine. They were later used for bread pudding.