41 Inspirational Quotes for New Teachers That Motivate

Encourage a positive mindset among recent hires with these powerful quotes for new teachers. 

The start of a teaching career signals a new chapter in a person’s life.

Show your support and appreciation plus instill optimism using these short inspirational quotes for teachers who are new to the profession.

Send these uplifting messages as notes of appreciation, incorporate them into professional development, or simply post them as décor in the teacher’s lounge.

Along with positive teacher affirmations, these delightful new-teacher quotes serve many purposes and will contribute to teachers maintaining a positive growth mindset throughout the school year.

Related Content: List of New Teacher Must-Haves

Quotes for New Teachers

Add a few of these inspirational quotes for new teachers to your daily routine in order to maintain a healthy mindset.

1. “The future of the world is in my classroom today.” – Ivan Welton Fitzwater

2. “A key to growing as an educator is to keep company mainly with teachers who uplift you, whose presence inspires you, and whose dedication drives you.” – Robert John Meehan 

3. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela 

quotes for new teachers

4. “Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve.” – Roger Lewin

5. “One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai

6. “The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think – rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men.” – Bill Beattie

7. “You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.” – Clay P. Bedford

8. “Intelligence plus character—that is the true goal of education.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Related Content: Back-to-School Quotes for Teachers

9. “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” – Henry B. Adams

10. “If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.” – Chinese Proverb

11. “What makes a child gifted and talented may not always be good grades in school, but a different way of looking at the world and learning.” – Chuck Grassley

12. “All children start their school careers with sparkling imaginations, fertile minds, and a willingness to take risks with what they think.” – Ken Robinson

13. “Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them.” – Lady Bird Johnson

quotes for new teachers
new-teacher quotes

14. “Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.” – Josef Albers

15. “It’s okay to have bad days, to be less than perfect, to say no, to be yourself.” – Anonymous

16. “Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” – Solomon Ortiz

17. “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” – Malcolm Forbes 

18. “The mediocre teacher tells.  The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Arthur Ward 

19. “Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained, and delighted.” – Dr. Seuss 

20. “If kids come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important.” – Barbara Colorose 

21. “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” – Ignacio Estrada

22. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yeats

23. “The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see.” – Anonymous

24. “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

25. “The fact that you worry about being a good teacher means that you already are one.” – Jodi Picoult

quotes for new teachers

26. “In an effective classroom, students should not only know what they are doing, they should also know why and how.” – Harry Wong

27. “A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.” – Helen Keller

28. “Sometimes the greatest PD is the teacher down the hall.” – Brian Aspinall 

29. “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle 

30. “You are responsible not only by what you say but also by what you don’t say.” – Martin Luther

31. “Be an encourager. The world has enough critics already.” – Anonymous

32. “All students can learn and succeed, but not in the same way and not in the same day.” – William G. Spady

33. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin 

34. “I am not a teacher but an awakener.” – Robert Frost

35. “They may forget what you said, but they will not forget how you made them feel.” – Carl Buechner

36. “Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system.” – Sidney Hook

37. “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” – Margaret Mead

Welcome Quotes for New Teachers

38. “A heartfelt welcome awaits you here. Step inside, and let the magic begin.” – Author Unknown

39. “There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met.” – William Butler Yeats

40. “Welcome to the start of a beautiful journey filled with endless possibilities.” – Author Unknown

41. “You are never alone. You are eternally connected with everyone.” – Amit Ray

How Do You Motivate a New Teacher?

To motivate a new teacher, show support even in tough times, listen attentively, offer guidance, share inspirational quotes for new teachers, and appreciate the unique value she brings to the school community.

How Do You Appreciate a New Teacher?

To appreciate a new teacher, give thoughtful gifts, say thank you, share positive praise, write a thank you note, and recognize her hard work.

Final Thoughts

Comforting quotes have a powerful impact on teachers’ emotions and mindsets.

That’s one of the reasons for reciting positive quotes daily.

These inspirational quotes for new teachers will spark positivity and enthusiasm among staff. 

This in turn will positively affect everyone else in the school community. So spread these quotes generously.