25 Inspirational Quotes for Students

Engage your students right when they walk in the door! This list of inspirational quotes is perfect for sharing with kids. Add a motivational quote of the day activity to your morning meetings or bell ringers to start each day with a growth mindset.

Benefits of Quote Analysis

Quote analysis is a powerful tool that can help students develop a variety of essential skills. By examining quotes from a diverse group of speakers, students can learn to think critically, make connections, and consider alternative viewpoints. Quote analysis can also help students improve their reading and writing skills and build classroom community through inclusive and engaging discussions.

✏️ Critical Thinking: Use quotes to support and reinforce critical thinking skills. When students examine the literal and implied meanings behind quotes, they develop the ability to interpret and explore different layers of meaning. Students also get the opportunity to evaluate sources and assess credibility, relevance, and significance.

✏️ Reflect & Connect: Consistent quote analysis will promote reflection and encourage a growth mindset. It will also encourage students to make connections between the quote and their lives, other academic concepts, or real-world experiences. This makes learning more meaningful and memorable.

✏️ Perspective: Analyzing quotes from diverse speakers will expose students to different ways of thinking, helping them develop empathy, open-mindedness, and the ability to consider alternative viewpoints.

✏️ Reading and Writing: Exposure to a wide range of vocabulary and language styles in a low-stakes and inclusive environment will improve reading and writing skills. With quote analysis, students can focus on skills like summarizing, supporting opinions with valid reasoning, and using context clues to determine word meanings.

✏️ Build Classroom Community: Engaging in whole-class discussions and small-group conversations about interesting quotes is a great way to build classroom community and develop communication skills. It will also give students time to practice speaking and listening skills.

✏️ Inspiration and Motivation: Quotes can be a source of inspiration and motivation. Analyzing quotes can help students focus on their goals, boost their determination, and maintain a positive mindset. You can also use quotes to teach social-emotional skills.

1. “It isn’t where you came from. It’s where you’re going that counts.” -Ella Fitzgerald

2. “If people were silent, nothing would change.” -Malala Yousafzai

3. “Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up.” -Barack Obama

4. “When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” -Elvis Presley

5. “You have to try the impossible to achieve the possible.” -Hermann Hesse

6. “A ship in a calm harbor is safe, but that is not what a ship is built for.” -John Shedd

7. “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can get done today.” -Mark Twain

8. “If you expect someone else to guide you, you’ll be lost.” -James Earl Jones

9. “I do not know anyone who has gotten to the top without hard work.” -Margaret Thatcher

10. “Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”George S. Patton

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“Great resource! Visually appealing and and engaging for students. Quotes were applicable and appropriate. Provided a springboard for discussion and journaling. Well Done!” -Tim W.

11. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” -Robert Kennedy

12. “Believe you can, and you’re halfway there.” -Theodore Roosevelt

13. “The best way out is always through.” -Robert Frost

14. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” -Frederick Douglass

15. “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” -Desmond Tutu

Ideas for Using Quotes in Your Classroom

Discuss quotes as a class during your morning meeting or as a bell ringer activity.
Add writing prompts to reinforce narrative, informational, opinion, and summary writing skills.
Create a growth mindset bulletin board. Encourage students to bring in and share quotes they find on their own!
Add a timer and use the quotes during transition times to keep students focused and engaged.
Use the quotes to make a Black History Month or Women’s History Month station activity. Students can work in groups to discuss the meaning of each quote.
Create a “gallery-style” quote walk for students to explore.
Break analysis up over several days to create a Quote of the Week activity.

16. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein

17. “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” Babe Ruth

18. “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” Leo Tolstoy

19. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” Steve Jobs

20. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” John D. Rockefeller

21. “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” Booker T. Washington

22. “It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.” Jane Austen

23. “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” Coco Chanel

24. “A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever.” Mary Lou Retton

25. “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Vincent Van Gogh

Incorporating daily quote analysis into your classroom routine doesn’t have to be time-consuming. It’s a brief but impactful exercise that contributes to the overall growth and development of all students. Click here to get one week of motivational quotes with writing prompts for free!