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Each week, Education World profiles a different school principal. His or her responses offer insight into what it takes to be a principal, what a principal's day is like, and the special challenges a principal faces.

 

Principal Profile: All About Sandra Pommerening

 

 

Your school:
Kellogg Middle School, a 6-8 school in Kellogg, Idaho (358 students).

Number of years in that position:
One year.

Your education experience:
15 years as a classroom teacher (including four years as math department chairperson), nine years as an assistant principal, and six years as principal.

How did you get your current job?
I moved to this area as an experienced administrator. I consulted and substituted for principals in the area. Then I applied for this opening.

What is the biggest challenge you will face this school year?
Declining enrollment and limited funds with which to accomplish our mission.

What is your education motto/mantra?
"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, what sort of house I lived in, or what kind of clothes I wore, but the world may be a much different place because I was important in the life of a child."

If you have one of those days when you don't think you can face the job again, what is it that gets you out the door and off to work the next morning?
The students and staff are a team, and when a team member is absent, it is harder for everyone.

Who or what most influenced your decision to become an educator?
An observant sixth-grade teacher suggested that I channel my energy toward a career of helping others and helped me perform in front of others. That support helped me significantly in gaining self-assurance.

What have you been reading lately?
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, by Sean Covey.

What do you do that you wish all principals would do?
We should all encourage students to consider education as a career. We should show we love what we do and set a model for students.