Teaching is a tough job. In fact, it’s tougher today than it’s ever been. A pandemic shook us to the core, violence threatens our classrooms, and the rules keep changing. Yet, this country’s amazing educators continue to show up and do their best. We’ve put together this list of teacher quotes to show our support and appreciation for the incredible people who are there to support our kids every single day.
Ways To Use Teacher Quotes
There are many great ways to use these teacher quotes. The goal is to bring a little positivity and inspiration to each day. Here are some ideas:
- Choose a new quote to read before starting each day.
- Pick a favorite quote and print it to hang in your classroom.
- Share quotes with your teacher friends as a pick-me-up.
- Add quotes to holiday or teacher appreciation cards.
- Read quotes aloud or project them on a screen to kick off staff meetings.
Our Favorite Teacher Quotes
1. I wasn’t born to “just teach.” – Author Unknown
2. One child, one teacher, one book … – Malala
3. The teacher who is indeed wise … – Kahlil Gibran
4. When you love your class, your students just know.
5. All the small moments with your students …
6. Children learn best when they like their teacher and they think their teacher likes them. – Gordon Neufeld
7. A great teacher is a great artist … – John Steinbeck
8. Watch a teacher with a classroom full of students … – Teresa Kwant
9. Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best. – Bob Talbert
10. A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers. – Helen Keller
11. A teacher affects eternity. – Henry Brooks Adams
12. Lessons on kindness are just as important.
13. If you don’t like something, change it. – Maya Angelou
14. If you love them today, maybe you can teach them tomorrow. – Jeffrey R. Holland
15. Every job has its ups and downs, but not every job can change a life.
16. The best thing about being a teacher is that it matters. – Todd Whitaker
17. Only the brave choose to teach.
18. Our fingerprints don’t fade from the lives we touch. – Judy Blume
19. The best teacher lodges an intent not in the mind but in the heart. – Anne Michaels
20. Sometimes the greatest PD is the teacher down the hall. – Brian Aspinall
21. The trick to having happy students is to first be happy yourself.
22. The great teacher inspires. – William Arthur Ward
23. Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. – Aristotle
24. You are a great teacher.
25. Keep company mainly with teachers who uplift you. – Robert John Meehan
26. Like a boss teacher.
27. Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. – Author Unknown
28. May your coffee be strong and your students calm.
29. Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.
30. Nothing can dim a light that shines from within. – Maya Angelou
31. Be the leader in a school of fish.
32. Every child needs at least one adult … – Urie Bronfenbrenner
33. Be awesome, be amazing, be you.
34. In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
35. Teaching is the greatest act of optimism. – Colleen Wilcox
36. It starts on the inside.
37. The world needs all kinds of minds. – Temple Grandin
38. Do what you love.
39. The world is changed by your example. – Paulo Coelho
40. Plant some beautiful seeds.
41. To your students, you are a hero.
42. The best teachers are those who show you where to look.
43. I’m just a teacher standing in front of my class …
44. You are already a good teacher.
45. If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s …
46. The duties of a teacher are neither few nor small, but they elevate the mind and give energy to the character. – Dorothea Dix
47. Teachers appreciate being appreciated, for teacher appreciation is their highest award. – William Prince
48. In order to be an effective teacher, you have to love your students as human beings and you have to love teaching. – Maribeth Sublette
49. Not all superheros wear capes—some have teaching degrees. – Author Unknown
50. Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together. – Scott Hayden
50. The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. – Mark Van Doren
51. A teacher’s job is to take a bunch of live wires and see that they are well-grounded. – Darwin D. Martin
52. I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. – Lily Tomlin
53. Nine-tenths of education is encouragement. – Anatole France
54. A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning. – Brad Henry
55. A good teacher is like a candle—it consumes itself to light the way for others. – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
What teacher quotes strengthen and inspire you? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
And if you like inspirational quotes, you’ll love these Favorite Classroom Quotes.
