Culture and Lifestyle Quotes and Sayings 30 Inspirational Teacher Quotes for All of Our Favorite Educators “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” By Southern Living Editors Updated on January 20, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Robert Warren/Getty Images Teachers are called many things: educators, mentors, instructors, and sometimes the accidental mom. No matter what they are called, we can all agree that they truly have a gift of influencing lives both inside and outside of their classroom. Everyone can recall at least one special teacher, if not more, that has profoundly impacted their life. Teachers are the awe-inspiring, rock stars of education. They work tirelessly to enrich the lives of the next generation. Their devotion, hard work, and eternal positivity never goes unnoticed. Whether it's Teacher Appreciation Day or you just know a teacher that could use an extra pep in their step this week, these inspirational teacher quotes are sure to give encouragement to all of the educators out there. From funny to inspirational to appreciative, these quotes cover it all. There have been many words shared over the years about educators, but this list includes our favorite quotes about teachers. If you're a teacher, we hope these words will instantly bring a smile to your face. And if you're looking to inspire, we hope these words will spread some gratefulness and maybe even provide a laugh or two for the educators in your life. 01 of 30 Darwin D. Martin "A teacher's job is to take a bunch of live wires and see that they are well-grounded." –Darwin D. Martin 02 of 30 William Arthur Ward "Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts; it is acquiring understanding."—William Arthur Ward 03 of 30 Solomon Ortiz "Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students." –Solomon Ortiz 04 of 30 Sidney Hook "Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system." –Sidney Hook 05 of 30 Scott Hayden "Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together." –Scott Hayden 06 of 30 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk "A good teacher is like a candle—it consumes itself to light the way for others." –Mustafa Kemal Atatürk 07 of 30 Michael Morpurgo "It's the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom." –Michael Morpurgo 08 of 30 Mark Van Doren "The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." –Mark Van Doren 09 of 30 Malcom X "Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today." –Malcom X 10 of 30 Lily Tomlin "I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework." –Lily Tomlin 11 of 30 Lady Bird Johnson "Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them." –Lady Bird Johnson 12 of 30 Joyce Meyer "Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges." –Joyce Meyer 13 of 30 Joseph Joubert "To teach is to learn twice over." –Joseph Joubert 14 of 30 John Strachan "To this end, the greatest asset of a school is the personality of the teacher." –John Strachan 15 of 30 Henry B. Adams "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." –Henry B. Adams 16 of 30 H. L. Mencken "The best teacher of children, in brief, is one who is essentially childlike." –H. L. Mencken 17 of 30 Guy Kawasaki "If you have to put someone on a pedestal, put teachers. They are society's heroes." –Guy Kawasaki 18 of 30 Unknown "Good teachers are the ones who can challenge young minds without losing their own." –Unknown 19 of 30 Dorothea Dix "The duties of a teacher are neither few nor small, but they elevate the mind and give energy to the character." –Dorothea Dix 20 of 30 Dan Rather "The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth'. –Dan Rather 21 of 30 Colleen Wilcox "Teaching is the greatest act of optimism." –Colleen Wilcox 22 of 30 Christa Mcauliffe "I touch the future. I teach." –Christa Mcauliffe 23 of 30 Brad Henry "A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning." –Brad Henry 24 of 30 Bob Talbert "Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best." –Bob Talbert 25 of 30 Anatole France "Nine-tenths of education is encouragement." –Anatole France 26 of 30 Albert Einstein "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." –Albert Einstein 27 of 30 Unknown "Teaching: the only profession where you steal things from home and bring them to work." –Unknown 28 of 30 Nicholas A. Ferroni "Educators are the only people who lose sleep over other people's kids." –Nicholas A. Ferroni 29 of 30 Heidi McDonald "I can't believe I just saw my teacher at the grocery store! I thought she lived in her classroom! –Heidi McDonald 30 of 30 Unknown "There are three good reasons to be a teacher –June, July, and August." –Unknown Was this page helpful? 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