Sunshine’s journey to Pixel Dreams reaps rewards

Written by: Viviene Bansie aka Sunshine
Featured image by: Kryza Talavera aka Ninja

It is said that individuals change careers at least 5 times before finding their best fit. I was a nonbeliever of this theory but realized later in life that this is indeed true. 

For me, teaching was the last thing in the world I wanted to do but I felt that I was led to this career path and loved it. Nevertheless, this was not enough. I wanted to do more for myself and for my students. This need led me to take up the position as School Principal for both Elementary and High schools where I assisted individuals of all ages, including students and community members, to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. 

Still, I wanted to do more. 

So, I moved on to pursue a career in counselling psychology to help me further assist my students in dealing with issues that were hindering them from learning.

After working as a School Principal and then Guidance Counsellor for a number of years, I still hungered to do more to help more students with learning challenges. This led me to take up the position of School Inspector. A team and I would go into assigned schools and conduct an inspection based on 8 “effectiveness” indicators:

 

  • Leadership and management
  • Teaching in support of students’ learning
  • Students’ progress in English and Mathematics
  • Students’ performance in national examinations
  • Students’ personal and social development
  • The use of human and material resources
  • Curriculum and enhancement programs
  • Students’ safety, security, health, and well-being

At the end of each inspection, a report on the findings and recommendations for improvement is shared with the school leaders to guide improvement. It was great when school leaders took these recommendations and ran with them, leading to an overall improvement in teaching and learning experiences in their school.

That position was awesome but it was taking me away from my young son daily. 

Now, I’ve transitioned into working from home and I am loving it. This move gives me the opportunity to be with my family and still work with some fantastic clients, internationally. 

Today, I am elated, more excited, and fulfilled at the end of each day/week/year. Working as a Virtual Assistant/Educator has given me so much opportunity to excel. This last move afforded me the opportunity to meet the amazing Sarah (Energize) and the awe-inspiring Kal (Dreams) who invited me to work virtually with the Pixel Dreams Team. 

I was even able to visit Canada and meet the awesome individuals at PD HQ.

Looking back, I am now in a better place and look forward to doing continued work with fantastic individuals each day. Working with the PDT has had a positive impact on my life and that of my family members. The PD leadership team is the BOMB and these remarkable individuals have led me to see the role of a leader in a different light. These are confident and secure leaders who encourage and train everyone to be junior leaders. They are not afraid to offer assistance when needed and take extreme ownership. This is something I have since been working on developing myself. 

PD is the first workplace I have ever been to where the Chief Education Officer/Founder, willingly washes the pots and pans after lunch with the rest of the team. And, he is always sharing his wisdom on the go. I love and appreciate the fact that everyone has a voice and is allowed to share their options in healthy team meetings. Friducation is always “a look forward to” for the team. 

Honestly, in all my years of working, I have never experienced leaders who care to educate their team members to grow and excel in every way possible. For me, I was never afraid to learn more and this was very welcomed as I always look forward to learning new skills.

 Now:

  • After the introduction of SCRUM, I am better able to manage my time. 
  • I identify and use daily goals/tasks to help me to be more efficient and get more work done in a timely manner.
  • I am always motivated to learn new skills to help the team when needed.
  • I learn something new on a daily/weekly basis which leads to my skills being developed all the time.
  • I am more knowledgeable about effective leadership skills and taking extreme ownership. And, I am guided by these skills, making sure that they are at the forefront of my mind when I make decisions such as assigning and completing tasks. Further, I am now more comfortable taking extreme ownership for my misjustments and my successes. 
  • Ultimately, I am working on improving my skills daily and I am able to use more effective systems and programs such as SCRUM, Asana, Campaign Monitor, and use of coding when setting up blogs in WordPress.

 

Conclusion

Wow!! This may not be the end of my journey, but I am very thankful and appreciative of the many rewards I have been so fortunate to achieve on this pathway. It is a very awesome feeling to look forward daily to working with awe-inspiring team leaders and amazing and supportive team members as these fantastic individuals at PD. Having the opportunity to meet these persons is a reward in itself. 

Now, I encourage everyone who may be struggling in their current jobs, to hold the faith as there is always hope. Know that when one door closes another will open with greater and more fulfilling opportunities. This has always been the case for me. Look for your sunshine, and guiding stars, which will take you to success. Be motivated. 

 

“If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”
– Steve Jobs

 

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