For Pam Pratt, it starts with a positive attitude.

Then, you make a difference in someone's life, every day.

Next, you truly listen to people.

And fourth, take time to play. Have fun.

Those are lessons from the book "Fish!" that Pratt took to heart more than a decade ago, and lessons she has shared with thousands of students since.

"That's the one book that's really kind of formed my life," she said. "It makes a wonderful culture for the schools."

Pratt, who has 28 years with the Coeur d'Alene School District and this year is director of elementary education and principal at the Hayden Kinder Center, is retiring. Her last day is June 30.

"It will be hard to leave," she said.

Raised in Vallejo, Calif., Pratt was one of eight children raised by Richard and Dorothy Branch.

Her father, a World War II veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor, was a firefighter who also cleaned pools and drove trucks.

"My dad had to work three jobs to support us. They couldn't afford college," she said. "He wasn't home a lot because he worked so hard to support us."

Pratt discovered a love for learning and teaching. She graduated from UC Davis and landed her first job teaching in Santa Clara, Calif., where she stayed 13 years before coming to North Idaho in 1983 to teach.

Finally, three decades and thousands of students and numerous job promotions later, she's leaving.

Sure, she'll have time now for her husband, Bill, and their family. She'll have time for golfing, camping, fishing and time to devote more efforts to her passion, human rights, and volunteering with several community organizations.

But she'll miss having a daily impact on the students of the Coeur d'Alene School District and emphasizing character traits like responsibility, respect, service, compassion, excellence and perseverance.

"I think I feel I've been a leader and a model for children," she said. "I feel it's important to make a positive impact on young people and that's what I try to do."

What are your thoughts on retiring?

It's been very hard and very mixed because I have about 42 years in to this. I love education and I love children and being around teachers. I won't have that anymore. On the other hand, I have a family, because I work so many hours that I take a lot of time away from, so I'm anxious to spend more time with my husband, and I have a son and daughter-in-law and two grandchildren here in Coeur d'Alene, and I want to spend time with them.

Where did you start here?

I started here in 1983 and I taught fourth grade at Winton school. In 1987 and '88 I taught right here in Hayden Lake in fourth grade. In 1990 I became the vice principal at Lakes Middle School for two years and then in 1991 through 1995 I was the principal at Dalton Elementary and then from 1995 to 2000 at Fernan. Then I had the opportunity to open up Skyway Elementary and worked there until 2006. The last five years I have been the director of elementary education. This year, because of the tight budget I was also asked to be principal here at the Kinder Center, so I've shared my duties this year.

What will you miss the most?

In the school district, just the people. The people that I've met, and that includes all staff and children and the parents. I've gotten to know so many people in our community and I'm going to miss them, but I hope to run into them and stay in contact.

What has guided you?

I so believe in character education that at all of the schools that I've been at I have started character programs and really work with the kids individually. Since I'm not their teacher, I go into the classrooms and we talk about a character trait - responsibility and respect and human dignity, compassion. I have done that since I have been at Dalton, I brought it all the way back here to the Kinder Center.

The kids remember it. In high school, they talk about things they learned. At Kinder Center this week, students made character necklaces. The beads represent each character trait. They got to take them home today. My hope, I told them, is to put them in a special place and when they're in high school think about what they learned about being a good person and a good citizen. Those are the kinds of things I've worked on with the kids.

Do you get to know them well?

Yes. In fact, I just said goodbye to one of my parents, Darren Ducote, who I had years ago at Lakes Middle School. Now I have his 5-year-old.

Yesterday at my retirement party one of my students I had in kindergarten brought me flowers. He's just finishing fifth grade and he remembers the things we did together in the classroom, especially with the character traits. I go to the stores and they know who I am. I just love that they remember.

How have things changed

in education?

I taught kindergarten and first grade for a long time and what I taught in kindergarten in California back in the '70s and '80s, what I taught in first grade there is what we're teaching in kindergarten now. The bar has raised for these kids. Before you could come in not knowing much, your letters, your colors, that's what you learned. Now, we expect you to know that entering kindergarten, so that's changed.

As far as teacher, we didn't have standards then we had to follow. It was more, here are your book and we taught from the books. There were no state tests for kids. That's a new thing. And it put so much stress on our children. I can't tell you how much, and in some states it's so stressful unless you pass the state test at every level, you can't go on to the next grade.

Would you still recommend

teaching as a career?

Absolutely. My daughter-in-law is in the program right now. The teachers coming in don't know any different. This is just the way it is. It's not a good time for teachers right now as far as things going on nationwide. And the respect for them that used to be there isn't felt right now. It will come back and I recommend it because it is the best profession anyone could go into because you're working with children and you're making a difference in their lives. I would do it all over again. You don't make a lot of money, it doesn't matter. If you have the passion, it doesn't matter to you.

Any final words?

I would like to say something about this district. I taught 13 years in Santa Clara. It was a strong district with strong teachers. I came here to this district and they were far ahead of what we were doing in Santa Clara. I never met such dedicated teachers. They just work their hearts out for nothing. I've been around educators where you do the extra things, you work after school you do these other activities, they expected some compensation. Never, ever, does that happen here. The teachers just go back to school, whatever they need to do, they get done.

Sometimes, I listen to people, they don't have the respect they need to have for the educators here and for this district, the leadership this district has had. Hazel Bauman has done amazing things for teaching and learning, and has built this district just to be top notch. We are top notch in Idaho. We really are. I don't think people understand that. It makes me sad. Even when I retire, I want to be a public relations person for this district and education Idaho. I don't want to hurt what we have spent so many years building for kids.

Family: Husband, Bill. Two sons

Education: Graduate of University of California-Davis

Hobbies: Knit, crochet, crossword puzzles,

Favorite movie: "Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood"

Favorite book: For fun, I read the Janet Evanovich books.

Favorite type of music: Soft classic rock

Favorite spectator sport: Basketball. Husband Bill Pratt coached the 2000 CHS girls basketball state champion team.

Best advice you ever received: Always assume positive intentions in everybody. Always look for the good. My mother has never said a bad thing about anyone, and I try really hard to follow that.

Quality you admire most in a person: Positive attitude. I love to be around positive people.

Any one thing you consider your greatest accomplishment: I don't consider them accomplishments, I consider them opportunities. I've had in my career, amazing opportunities given to me. It's put me around children.

One person who most influenced your life: My mother, Dorothy Marie Branch, for finding the good in people and my father, Richard William Branch Sr., for working hard.