Education quotes are useful in a variety of situations, from classroom posters to teacher emails and teacher appreciation messages. When they’re poignant or insightful, they can be amazing conversation starters at faculty meetings and teacher training sessions.
They’re also ideal for informal writing prompts to help students reflect on their own educational experiences.
For whatever reason you’re seeking education quotes, the following list includes some of the most thought-provoking insights from renowned writers and world leaders.
TipIf you’re seeking creative and sincere ways to observe Teacher Appreciation Day (May 6, 2025), look no further! Many of these quotes will make excellent additions to the cards, letters, or social media posts that you write for Teacher Appreciation Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, or any other time when you want to honor a dedicated teacher.
“Education is the movement from darkness to light.” —Allan Bloom, US philosopher and founder of the Bloom’s taxonomy framework for understanding educational goals.
“I had come to believe that the ability to evaluate many ideas, many histories, many points of view, was at the heart of what it means to self-create.” —Tara Westover, author of the best-selling 2018 memoir Educated
“It’s in the act of having to do things that you don’t want to that you learn something about moving past the self. Past the ego.” —bell hooks, education theorist and writer
“Education is the key that unlocks the golden door of freedom to our people.” —George Washington Carver, early 20th century scientist and inventor
“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” —Malcolm Forbes, 20th century US politician and former publisher of Forbes magazine
“The ability to read, write, and analyze; the confidence to stand up and demand justice and equality; the qualifications to get your foot in the door and take your seat at the table—all of that starts with education.” —Michelle Obama, former US first lady
“Without knowledge and understanding, one tends to become a passive spectator rather than an active participant in the great decisions of our time.” —Diane Ravitch, education historian, former US Assistant Secretary of Education
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” —Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and former president of South Africa
“When someone takes away your pens, you realize quite how important education is.” —Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and female education activist
“Great schools don’t just teach you; they change you.” —Melinda French Gates, US philanthropist and former Microsoft product developer
“Surprisingly enough, Quintilian’s recommendation for a lifelong education has never been more relevant than it is in the twenty-first century, as knowledge is increasing and changing so fast that most people must continue to be active learners long after they graduate from college.” —Andrea Lunsford, writing education expert and author of The Everyday Writer and Everyone’s an Author
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., US civil rights leader
“I always say that the young people are the future of the world, and if we start with them first, if we educate and develop a sense of tolerance among them, our future, the future of this world, will be in good hands for generations to come.” —Erin Gruwell, teacher and founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation
“The classroom is a place of high drama. You’ll never know what you’ve done to, or for, the hundreds coming and going. You see them leaving the classroom: dreamy, flat, sneering, admiring, smiling, puzzled. After a few years, you develop antennae. You can tell when you’ve reached them or alienated them. It’s chemistry. It’s psychology. It’s animal instinct.” —Frank McCourt, Irish-American Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Angela’s Ashes and Teacher Man
“I think what education gives you is a voice. It gives you a way of talking to a judge. When a policeman pulls you off to the side of the road, you have a voice. When you cross a border, you have a voice. When you are writing to express your opinions, you have a voice.” —Richard Rodriguez, author of Hunger of Memory
“Education is the key to preventing the cycle of violence and hatred that marred the 20th century from repeating itself in the 21st century.” —Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, author of Night, and 1986 Nobel Peace Prize laureate
“… schooling can be about how to make a life, which is quite different from how to make a living.” —Neil Postman, 20th century education and media theorist and author of The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School
“True freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline.” —Mortimer J. Adler, 20th century US philosopher and author of How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
“Every intellectual revolution which has ever stirred humanity into greatness has been a passionate protest against inert ideas.” —Alfred North Whitehead, 19th/20th century British mathematician and philosopher and author of “The Aims of Education”
“From my experience, the most creative minds learn to educate themselves.” —Noam Chomsky, 20th century MIT linguistics professor and political activist
Writing tips for education quotes
The following tips will enhance the impact of education quotes in your writing:
Before each quote, include a signal phrase with the author’s full name and a verb like “wrote” or “explained.”
Use quotation marks to show where the quote begins and ends. This strategy helps readers tell the difference between your ideas and other writers’ ideas.
Put the quote’s end punctuation (e.g., a period or question mark) before the final quotation marks (unless you need a parenthetical citation after the quotation).
Quote on education example Educational theorist Lisa Delpit wrote, “We do not really see through our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs.”
Published on
December 9, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
July 21, 2025
Everyone needs extra motivation and inspiration sometimes, especially students who are juggling school work with jobs, family, and other responsibilities.
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to embrace a growth mindset—the notion that we can always keep improving through dedication and effort. Carol Dweck, the psychologist who coined the term “growth mindset,” explained that “no matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.”
We often turn to quotes like these to motivate ourselves or others. Whether you’re seeking motivation for your own studies or supporting the students in your classroom, family, or social circle, these 20 quotes from leaders, experts, and scholarly sources will inspire growth and perseverance.
TipTo easily find even more sayings about students, try QuillBot’s free AI random quote generator to get creative options.
Published on
December 5, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
July 22, 2025
Quotes from education experts, world leaders, and even celebrities provide valuable insights about the inspiring work of teachers. Whether you’re crafting faculty presentations, teacher appreciation messages, or essays on education, these quotes from scholarly sources and other leaders will motivate and inspire.
TipTeacher Appreciation Week is the first week in May, and Teacher Appreciation Day this year falls on May 6, 2025. One of the best ways to honor the teachers in your life is by writing a card or thank you letter.
Many of the quotes below are perfect for teacher appreciation cards and letters. You can also use QuillBot’s random quotation generator to find more creative options.
Published on
October 30, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
July 14, 2025
Have a great week is a common closing for emails and conversations on Sunday and Monday. In this English expression, “week” means “Monday through Friday.”
This expression sets a positive tone for the week ahead. It also implies that you won’t talk to the person every day. You’ve probably encountered “have a great week” in one of these situations:
Face-to-face conversations with people you only see on weekends (e.g., saying goodbye after Sunday brunch with your family)
Monday morning email updates to large groups of people (e.g., all of a manager’s employees or all of a teacher’s students/parents)
Farewell messages to people who will be gone all week
Have a great week examplesHey, Becca! I just wanted to say good luck and safe travels before you head out for the conference in Denver. Have a great week!
Dear Customer Service Team,
Happy Monday, and thank you for your terrific work with the increased call volume last week! We have a quick update about overtime. From today until Friday, October 7, all employees are authorized to work up to 5 hours of overtime. This is totally optional. We hope that you all have a great week and appreciate all you do!
-Management Team
“Have a great week” has several variations for different audiences and situations. The synonyms below will help you add variety to your writing and conversations.
Published on
October 24, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
February 18, 2025
Safe travels is a polite way to wish someone good luck before they travel a long distance. Whether the person is traveling for work, vacation, family, or other reasons, “safe travels” shows that you want someone’s trip to be as safe and pleasant as possible.
Because most trips involve multiple segments of travel or even modes of transportation, “safe travels” includes the plural noun “travels” as a synonym for “all of the travel-related aspects of an upcoming trip.”
Safe travels examplesSafe travels, Mom and Dad! Your Mediterranean cruise sounds like the trip of a lifetime, and I can’t wait to see the pictures when you get back.
Have a wonderful time in South Africa, Brandon! We’ll miss you, but we’ll take good care of the house while you’re gone. Safe travels, and enjoy all those frequent flier miles!
I’m so excited to see you later today, and I’ll be waiting at baggage claim when your plane lands. Safe travels, Micki!
TipWhen including a person’s name in the expression “safe travels,” make sure to follow comma rules. A comma should go between the expression and the name(s) (e.g., “Safe travels, Devonte!”)
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you with correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar in written messages about travel.
In addition to “safe travels,” you can use the synonyms below, depending on the situation.
Published on
October 15, 2024
by
QuillBot
Revised on
April 21, 2025
The holiday season is an ideal time to spread good wishes and cheer. Happy Holidays has become the most common holiday greeting because it refers to all of the cultural and religious holidays from late December to early January.
Everybody experiences the holiday season a little differently, but most people appreciate thoughtful “Happy Holidays” messages.
Whether you’re writing holiday cards, work emails, or social media posts, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help your “Happy Holidays” messages sparkle.
Happy holidays message exampleHappy Holidays to my friends and family near and far! May your holiday season be merry and bright and the new year full of comfort and joy.NoteA synonym for “Happy Holidays” is “Season’s Greetings.” Like “Happy Holidays,” it’s inclusive of Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve/Day.
“Happy Holidays” is common in both written and face-to-face communications in December. “Season’s Greetings” usually only occurs in written messages (e.g., holiday cards).
“Season” has an apostrophe + “-s” in “Season’s Greetings” because it’s a possessive noun. Both words are also usually capitalized.
Happy Thanksgiving messages provide an opportunity to show gratitude for relationships of all kinds. You can send Thanksgiving greetings to family, friends, or colleagues via text or email or in a handwritten note.
QuillBot’s paraphrasing tool can help you find the right words for all of your Thanksgiving greetings.
Happy Thanksgiving message examplesHappy Thanksgiving, Leila! One of the things I am most grateful for this year is your friendship. I hope your day is full of delicious food and time with loved ones.
Happy Turkey Day! I have so enjoyed getting to know all of you through book club this year. May your tables be full and your pants be stretchy!
Saying good luck is a common way to encourage a friend, colleague, or loved one before a big or small endeavor. You might say “good luck” before a competition, presentation, test, or job interview, but it works for ordinary situations, too.
“Good luck” can be used by itself (e.g., “Good luck!”) or in the following ways:
As a noun phrase (e.g., “I’m thinking of you and sending good luck!”)
As a compound adjective with a hyphen (e.g. “I’m sending you all the good-luck vibes on your first day of work!)
When you write a good luck message with a person’s name, place a comma before the name (e.g., “Good luck, Ted!”).
Good luck examplesHi, Gabriela! Good luck on the presentation today. I know you’re going to do great!
Safe travels, and good luck with your flight, Nancy! We’re going to miss you!
“Good luck” isn’t the only way to show support. Depending on the situation and your relationship with the person, you can substitute “good luck” with one of the synonyms below.
Published on
October 1, 2024
by
QuillBot
Revised on
April 21, 2025
Whether October 31 involves an epic costume party, trick or treaters, or a regular day at school or work, there are many ways to say Happy Halloween.
Halloween messages often involve puns with Halloween-themed words that sound similar to other words with totally different meanings (e.g., “ghoul” in place of “girl”).
Punny Halloween messages examples
Pun
Meaning
Witching you a spooktacular Halloween!
Wishing you a spectacular Halloween!
Eat, drink, and be scary.
Eat, drink, and be merry.
Have a fang-tastic night!
Have a fantastic night!
A happy Halloween saying can also include a metaphor (e.g., “You’re the pumpkin spice in my latte”).
Published on
September 27, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
July 21, 2025
It’s nice to meet you is the most common way to show respect and kindness to a person you just met. The expression creates a positive tone for the rest of your conversation. This short sentence can also have a big impact on the relationship moving forward.
Whether you’re meeting someone face-to-face, online, professionally, or socially, “It’s nice to meet you” is one of many ways to make a good first impression. There are several other expressions that have the same or slightly different meanings like “It’s great to meet you” or “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Nice to meet you exampleJob Interviewer: Thank you for meeting with me today. I’m the branch manager, Max. I’m excited to get to know you a little better.
Job Interviewee: It’s so nice to meet you, Max. My name is Aditi, and I’m excited to learn more about the position.
Job Interviewer: The pleasure is all mine. Your resume is impressive! Tell me about your background in the banking industry.
