Inspirational Quotes to Share with Students

School counselors are in the unique position to support students with issues related to both school and home life. They are trained to provide counseling and guidance to students of all ages.

This guidance may take the form of one-on-one sessions or phone calls with online students, presentations to high school classes about college applications, family support and information nights, or small group peer-relation work.

At the elementary level, students need guidance and support due to the rapid growth and change they experience. The world today is changing swiftly, becoming more diverse, and forever introducing new types of technology. This type of change can be overwhelming to young children. Just when they think they’ve learned or mastered one thing, something new comes along.

School counselors help students see the opportunity in this change. They help students develop their self-confidence and self-concept. School counselors also work with the larger educational team to provide information about issues involving students’ mental health and well-being. School counselors are a key component in schools creating a climate of caring and support.

At the middle school and high school levels, school counselors help students pass from childhood to adolescence to young adulthood. School counselors also provide a range of services to older students, including counseling support services, academic remediation, and college application help. In many high schools, school counselors are known for being in charge of student schedules, but their role is much more important than simply helping a student drop a difficult class. During this time of students’ lives, they are growing physically and mentally. They are more likely to turn to their peers rather than their parents. Students of this age are especially sensitive to comments made by their peers. School counselors are important fixtures in the work against bullying in schools.

People often make fun of the posters hanging in school counselors’ offices. You know the ones with the kittens clawing a tree that read, “Just hang in there.” While these posters seem like a joke, there is a certain value to using inspirational quotes and sayings to help students. In fact, if you scroll through sites like Instagram and Facebook, you’ll find that many young adults enjoy sharing and making their own memes and images with inspirational quotes.

With this in mind, we’ve collected several of the best quotes that school counselors (or parents!) can use with students.

Quotes for Academic Challenges

School counselors help students work through academic challenges. They often work with students in special education programs to help them find the best learning environments. Students come to school counselors when they’re frustrated or fed up with their classes. When students feel like they’re not smart enough or no amount of studying will help them pass the class, share some of these quotes with them:

“We live in the kind of society where, in almost all cases, hard work is rewarded.”
— Neil deGrasse Tyson

“It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop.”
— Confucius

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
— Christopher Robin to Pooh, A.A. Milne

“A person who never made mistakes never tried anything new.”
— Albert Einstein

Quotes About Going to College

School counselors not only help students complete college applications but also provide guidance to students who question what they should do after graduation. Counselors help students find financial aid and provide them with suggestions about becoming college and career ready. When students are having trouble wrapping their minds around what it’ll be like to take their next step in the educational journey, these quotes can help:

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

“Hitch your wagon to a star.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
— Dr. Seuss

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
— Malcolm X

Quotes for Social Problems/Bullying

Bullying is one of the most pervasive and devastating issues that children of all ages are dealing with. The popularity of and access to technology means that the schoolyard bullying that has tormented students for so long has gone digital. Cyberbullying is a real threat to students’ self-esteem. School counselors are called on every day to help students who are the targets of bullying, the bully themselves, or bystanders of the behavior. When working with these students, the following quotes might help:

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”
— J.K. Rowling

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
— Plato

“Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. Right is right even if no one is doing it.”
— St. Augustine

“Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”
— Theodore Roosevelt

“Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.”
— Lady Gaga

Quotes About Creativity

Classes that foster artistic and creative expression are being cut from the curriculum in favor of test preparation and additional time in core classes. Students who best express themselves through mediums like art, music, creative writing, dance, and theater may suffer the most. A school counselor can help students take pride in their artistic interests and encourage them to foster their talents. In addition, some students need a push to be more creative in their thinking and problem-solving. The following quotes about creativity can be used with a wide-range of students:

“I am not afraid. . . I was born to do this.”
— Joan of Arc

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try.”
— Dr. Seuss

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
— Helen Keller

Quotes About Building Good Habits

School counselors help students build good social and emotional skills that encompass everything from bravery to curiosity to self-determination. Here are a few general quotes that school counselors can offer students in a variety of situations:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Maya Angelou

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
— Mother Teresa

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
—  Winston Churchill

School counselors can make a world of difference in the lives of students of all ages. The expertise and support they offer to the educational team cannot be replaced. If you’re interested in helping students reach their fullest academic and personal potentials, a career as a school counselor might be perfect for you.

Amanda Ronan is an Austin-based writer. After many years as a teacher, Amanda transitioned out of the classroom and into educational publishing. She wrote and edited English, language arts, reading, and social studies content for grades K-12. Since becoming a full-time writer, Amanda has worked with a diverse set of clients, ranging from functional medicine doctors to design schools to moving companies. She blogs occasionally for Teach.com, writes long-form articles, and pens YA and children’s fiction. Her first YA series, My Brother is a Robot, is slated for release by Scobre Educational Press in September 2015.