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 inspirational quotes for teachers 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 inspirational quotes for teachers. The goal is to bring 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.
Inspirational Quotes for Teachers
1. I wasn’t born to “just teach.” — Author Unknown
Choosing to enter the classroom is a true calling.
2. Lessons on kindness are just as important as academic ones. — Author Unknown
Teaching values and character development alongside academic subjects promotes the holistic growth of students.
3. If you love them today, maybe you can teach them tomorrow. — Jeffrey R. Holland
The emotional bond and respect between teachers and students is so crucial for effective teaching and learning!
4. The best thing about being a teacher is that it matters. — Todd Whitaker
This is one of the inspirational quotes for teachers that serves as a reminder of the significant lasting impact we have on our students’ lives and on society.
5. Sometimes the greatest PD is the teacher down the hall. — Brian Aspinall
We need to always remember how much we can learn from each other—peer insights are a powerful form of professional development!
6. Keep company mainly with teachers who uplift you. — Robert John Meehan
Having a supportive and positive professional network is essential for personal and professional growth.
7. It starts on the inside. — Unknown
This is one of the best inspirational quotes for teachers! We all know that some days are harder than others, but effective teaching begins with our passion, knowledge, and attitude.
Funny Teaching Quotes
8. May your coffee be strong and your students be calm. — Author Unknown
This one feels too real sometimes. Teaching can be so tough—but we’re tougher!
9. I’m just a teacher standing in front of my class … — Author Unknown
If you remember Notting Hill, you’ll know the inspiration for this line, which offers a playful twist describing the day-to-day challenges and joys of engaging with students.
10. Like a boss teacher. — Author Unknown
Some days, being a teacher really does feel so amazing!
11. Not all superheros wear capes—some have teaching degrees. — Author Unknown
This is one of the inspirational quotes for teachers that portrays them as unsung heroes in society, vital to the development of the leaders of tomorrow.
Short Teaching Quotes
12. Be awesome, be amazing, be you. — Author Unknown
A great reminder to embrace our unique qualities and strengths to bring authenticity into the classroom.
13. When you love your class, your students just know. — Author Unknown
Incorporating the power of genuine care and affection in teaching can transform the classroom.
14. Only the brave choose to teach. — Author Unknown
Let’s all take a moment to acknowledge the courage it takes to stand up in front of a classroom and teach.
15. To your students, you are a hero. — Author Unknown
We should always remember who we are in the eyes of our students and act accordingly. For some, we may be their biggest role model.
16. The world needs all kinds of minds. — Temple Grandin
We must value diversity in thinking and learning styles and promote inclusive education.
17. In a world where you can be anything, be kind. — Author Unknown
Kindness is a key value to impart to students, especially in today’s world.
18. Teaching is the greatest act of optimism. — Colleen Wilcox
We start the year filled with so much hope, and we choose to keep believing in the potential of each student to grow and succeed till the end of the year.
Witty Teaching Quotes
19. Be the leader in a school of fish. — Author Unknown
This cute quote encourages educators to take charge and guide students effectively.
20. I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. — Lily Tomlin
The famous actress and comedian emphasizes the importance of stimulating students’ thoughts and reflections beyond routine assignments.
21. Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. — Author Unknown
It’s true, right? Educators play an often underappreciated foundational role in shaping future professionals in every field.
Preschool Teaching Quotes
22. Early childhood education is the key to the betterment of society. — Maria Montessori
What happens in the early childhood classroom can have a profound impact on societal development.
23. Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood. — Fred Rogers
Here, Mr. Rogers stresses the educational value of play as a natural and crucial method of learning in early childhood.
24. Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her. — Urie Bronfenbrenner
The presence of a caring adult is essential in nurturing a child’s development.
Kindergarten Teaching Quotes
25. Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn. — O. Fred Donaldson
Play doesn’t just help with learning content, it also helps develop lifelong learning skills.
26. Children must be taught how to think, not what to think. — Margaret Mead
Learning isn’t just about rote memorization but gaining critical thinking skills that will benefit kids throughout their lives.
27. All the small moments with your students … it’s all important. — Author Unknown
The small, everyday interactions with students are just as important as the grand lesson plans.
Cute Teaching Quotes
28. Teachers plant seeds of knowledge that grow forever. — Author Unknown
A teacher is like a farmer, planting the seeds of knowledge that lead to their students’ growth throughout their lives.
29. Behind every successful person is a substantial amount of coffee and a good teacher. — Author Unknown
Everyone needs a few things to get them going, but one of the essentials is a good teacher.
30. You are a great teacher. — Author Unknown
As a teacher, you are valuable and impact your students every day.
Math Teaching Quotes
31. Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater. — Albert Einstein
For students struggling with math, it’s always good to remember that even the smartest among us struggle to solve certain problems.
32. The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics. — Paul Halmos
Like so many subjects, you don’t get better at math without practice.
33. Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding. — William Paul Thurston
It’s not just about the numbers but about understanding what’s behind them.
34. A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas. — G.H. Hardy
The creativity required in math is similar to that in the arts—it just uses a different canvas.
35. Teaching math is not just teaching math, it’s inspiring a mindset to solve problems. — Author Unknown
The broader goal of math education isn’t just to calculate but to develop problem-solving skills that apply beyond the classroom.
Special Education Teaching Quotes
36. Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody. — Author Unknown
As teachers, we should always foster an inclusive, affirming environment for all students.
37. The trick to having happy students is to first be happy yourself. — Author Unknown
Your mood and demeanor make a difference. It can be tough sometimes, but taking care of yourself is the best way to take care of your classroom.
38. Every job has its ups and downs, but not every job can change a life. — Author Unknown
Teaching is difficult but also uniquely transformative.
39. Every student can learn, just not on the same day or in the same way. — George Evans
We have to be prepared to meet students wherever they are in their learning journey.
40. The art of teaching special education is the art of assisting discovery while embracing uniqueness. — Author Unknown
Special education is a truly unique calling that focuses on both facilitating learning and celebrating individual differences.
Art Teaching Quotes
41. I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. — John Steinbeck
Teaching really is an art form; when your medium is the minds of your students, you have to be truly creative and brilliant.
42. Teaching art is not just about skills, it’s about instilling the courage to break the rules. — Author Unknown
Art is about encouraging expression and innovation; teaching students to think outside conventional boundaries is a valuable lifelong tool.
43. Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. — Pablo Picasso
Children are the most creative among us, and it’s our job to help nurture that artistic spirit into adulthood.
44. Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. — Edgar Degas
Art is a form of self-expression, but it’s also a valuable way to expose people to new and wonderful ideas.
Famous Teaching Quotes
45. One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world. — Malala Yousafzai
The impact a single teacher can have on a child’s life is immeasurable, especially when armed with the right resources.
46. What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain. — Maya Angelou
Inspire your students to adopt a proactive attitude toward challenges, promoting resilience and adaptability.
47. The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion. — Paulo Coelho
Your actions, not just your words, are your most powerful influence.
48. A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. — Henry Adams
As teachers, our influence reaches beyond the classroom itself, extending indefinitely into future generations.
49. If [the teacher] is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind. — Kahlil Gibran
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One of the greatest gifts we can give students is not simply the answers to questions, but the curiosity to ask their own questions and the tools to find the answers.
50. The art of being taught is the art of discovery, as the art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery to take place. — Mark Van Doren
Teaching isn’t a one-sided endeavor but a collaborative journey of discovery.
51. The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. — William Arthur Ward
Don’t we all want to inspire our students to be the best they can be?
52. A good teacher is like a candle—it consumes itself to light the way for others. — Unknown
Successful teaching involves personal sacrifice in a way that is unique compared to almost every other profession.
53. Nothing can dim a light that shines from within. — Maya Angelou
Sometimes the obstacles might seem extreme, but teachers will always fight to persevere.
Music Teaching Quotes
54. Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them—a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. — Gerald Ford
Music education is more than just learning the notes, it stimulates a desire to impact the world.
55. Education in music is most sovereign because more than anything else, rhythm and harmony find their way to the innermost soul and take strongest hold upon it. — Plato
Once a student has discovered the rhythm within them, they can be unstoppable.
56. Do what you love. — Author Unknown
The best way to influence those around you is to truly believe in what you’re doing.
English Teaching Quotes
57. The best teachers are those who show you where to look. — Author Unknown
When it comes to literature, there isn’t always one right answer.
58. If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow. — John Dewey
Education should always be evolving to meet the changing needs of students and society.
59. The best teacher lodges an intent not in the mind but in the heart. — Anne Michaels
Great teaching engages both intellect and emotion.
60. Teaching English is about not only imparting language but also sharing culture and human connection. — Author Unknown
When students understand the language, they have the tools to interpret and understand the culture around them as well.
Science Teaching Quotes
61. Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity and is the torch which illuminates the world. — Louis Pasteur
Science is universal, and scientific discoveries benefit everyone, not just the scientists who discover them.
62. The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them. — Sir William Bragg
A scientific mindset that values inquiry and critical thinking, not just rote memorization, is a lifelong tool.
63. Science is much more than a body of knowledge. It is a way of thinking. — Carl Sagan
The true essence of science education is fostering curiosity and analytical thinking.
64. To teach science is to teach people to question, experiment, and wonder. — Author Unknown
Science gives students the tools to actively engage with the world around them.