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46 Inspirational Back to School Quotes for Teachers and Students

Welcome the 2023 school year with these quotes about school life.

By Giovana Gelhoren
preview for Back-to-School Organization Ideas That Are Worth a Try

Like all good things, summer (and all its barbecues and pool time) must come to an end. But going back to school isn't all early early alarm clocks and homework. It's also a time to hit refresh and restart in life and your routines as you stock up on school supplies (perhaps even some throwback ones!), buy a new backpack, and pick out just the right outfit for the first day of school complete with new school shoes. To help inspire you this time of year, we've rounded up 39 back to school quotes from everyone from Nelson Mandela to Taylor Swift to the Dalai Lama.

These words of wisdom about the power of education and more are sure to inspire students, parents, and teachers alike as schools welcome their students back for a new year of learning, friendships, and much more. You can write them out on your family message board or tuck one into your kid's lunchbox for a sweet surprise. If you're looking for more back-to-school reflections, check out these quote about education and these teacher quotes too. While you're here, be sure to bookmark this page too since you know a year from now you'll be wanting to revisit these back to school quotes too.

1

Henry Ford

back to school quote henry ford
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"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right."

2

Dorothea Dix

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"The duties of a teacher are neither few nor small, but they elevate the mind and give energy to the character.

3

Guy Kawasaki

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"If you have to put someone on a pedestal, put teachers. They are society's heroes."

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4

Japanese Proverb

back to school quotes

"Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher."

5

Colleen Wilcox

teaching quote from colleen wilcox

"Teaching is the greatest act of optimism."

6

Scott Hayden

scott hayden teacher quote

"Teachers have three loves: Love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together."

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7

Helen Keller

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"A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers."

8

Pablo Picasso

picasso teacher quote

"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."

9

Michael Jordan

back to school quote by michael jordan
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"You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them."

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10

Vidal Sassoon

back to school quote by vidal sassoon
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"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary."

11

Wayne Gretzky

back to school quote wayne gretzky
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"You miss 100% of the shots you never take."

12

Kimberly Snyder

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"Progress not perfection."

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13

Jim Ryun

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"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."

14

C.S. Lewis

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"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

15

Mark Spitz

back to school quote mark spitz
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"If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail."

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16

Fred DeVito

fred devito quote about back to school
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"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."

17

Malcolm X

malcolm x quote
Country Living

"Education is the passport to the future for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today."

18

Malala Yousafzai

malala yousafzai quote
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"Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world."

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19

Oprah Winfrey

oprah winfrey quote
Country Living

"Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom."

20

John Irving

john irving quote
Country Living

"With every book, you go back to school. You become a student. You become an investigative reporter. You spend a little time learning what it's like to live in someone else's shoes."

Lettermark
Giovana Gelhoren

Giovana Gelhoren is the editorial intern for Country Living for the summer of 2021. She is also a junior at Northwestern University studying journalism and international studies.

100+ Quotes for Every Occasion

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