Teaching is one of the noblest professions, and former President Barack Obama has often emphasized the importance of educators in shaping future generations. Here are 10 share-worthy quotes from Obama that can inspire and motivate teachers in their mission to make a difference in their students’ lives.
1. “The best education is one where students feel valued for their thoughts, validated by their creativity, and empowered by the knowledge that they can do anything.”
2. “In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a prerequisite.”
3. “Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the fates, and I do not for a moment suppose that everyone here has enjoyed an equal measure of happiness over these past two decades. But I do know that we all had a good education.”
4. “If you think education is expensive, wait until you see how much ignorance costs in the 21st century.”
5. “The role of the teacher remains the highest calling of a free people. To the teacher America entrusts her most precious resource, her children; and asks that they be prepared… to face the rigors of individual participation in a democratic society.”
6. “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
7. “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope; you will fill yourself with hope.”
8. “Education doesn’t just make us smarter; it makes us whole.”
9. “We need to recognize that the true currency of our time isn’t money, but attention. With attention comes the ability to educate, persuade, and influence – to make a difference in the lives of others.”
10. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
As teachers, you have the power to instill hope, ignite curiosity, and inspire life-long learning in your students. Remember these powerful words from President Obama as you continue to guide and shape the leaders of tomorrow.
