40 Top Back to School Quotes to Get Kids & Teachers Excited for School

As the summer break wraps up and the school halls come alive again, everyone—teachers and students alike—start feeling excitement and nerves. It’s a time of new beginnings, fresh notebooks, and setting educational goals for the year ahead. Teachers are at the heart of this transition, ready to inspire and guide while students gear up to explore, learn, and grow. Recognizing the importance of motivation for both groups, we’ve collected a series of back to school quotes for kids and teachers.

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These words of wisdom are carefully chosen to energize teachers as they welcome their new classes and to encourage students as they embark on another year of learning. These quotes for school reopening aim to remind teachers and students of the incredible journey of discovery they are about to undertake together.

40 Best New School Year Quotes

Here are our top picks of back to school sayings:

20 Back to School Quotes for Teachers

1. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yeats
2. “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” – Mark Van Doren
3. “Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges.” – Joyce Meyer
4. “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” – Brad Henry
5. “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
6. “The influence of a good teacher can never be erased.” – Anonymous
7. “Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition.” – Jacques Barzun
8. “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” – Robert Frost
9. “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai
10. “Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.” – Chinese Proverb
11. “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” – C.S. Lewis
12. “Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” – John Steinbeck
13. “The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see.” – Alexandra K. Trenfor
14. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey
15. “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” – Henry Adams
16. “What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.” – Karl Menninger
17. “Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.” – Josef Albers
18. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
19. “To teach is to learn twice over.” – Joseph Joubert
20. “Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning.” – Robert John Meehan

Related Reading: Best Inspirational Quotes for Teachers

20 Back to School Quotes for Students

1. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
2. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
3. “You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward.” – Conrad Hall
4. “The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” – Carl Rogers
5. “Strive for progress, not perfection.” – Unknown
6. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar
7. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey
8. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
9. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer
10. “It always seems impossible until it is done.” – Nelson Mandela
11. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
12. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
13. “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier
14. “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” – Chinese Proverb
15. “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson
16. “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
17. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
18. “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar
19. “Take your risks now; as you grow older, you become more fearful and less flexible.” – Amy Poehler
20. “Dream big and dare to fail.” – Norman Vaughan

Related Reading: Powerful Education Quotes for Kids

Conclusion

As we embrace the new school year with open arms, let these back to school quotes be your guide and inspiration. Whether you’re teaching or learning, remember that every day is a chance to make a difference and grow.

Related Reading: Exciting Grade-Wise Back to School Activities for Kids

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