“It takes a noble man to plant a seed for a tree that will some day give shade to people he may never meet.” tweet
– D. Elton Trueblood tweet
This quote resonates with every inch of my teaching soul. Fortunately, I get to see many of my seeds grow into saplings, although it is unlikely that I will be the for their full bloom. I love inspiring my students to be the best that they can be; to help them become self-motivating and strive for excellence, if for no other reason than to show themselves that they can achieve it. Even if only a handful get the message it will have been a worthwhile endeavor.
The world is always changing and today it appears to be doing so at a more alarming rate than ever. Technology has skyrocketed and with it we are presented with new challenges. Challenges that my generation and generations to come will be forced to deal with and overcome.
It is my sincere hope as a teacher that I can help prepare future generations to push through adversity. Prepare them to be victorious in the fight against global climate change, pollution, overpopulation, social injustices and the rest of the hand that our predecessors have dealt us.
How does this quote resonate with you? Have you ever “planted a seed” knowing that you might never see the fruits of your labor?
I originally wrote this post back in 2013 because one quote stopped me in my tracks. But over the years readers kept finding this page looking for more quotes about planting seeds, so I decided to give them what they were looking for. Here are some of my favorites — most of them speak to teaching and legacy but you’ll find a few about growth, patience and investing in the future too.
Contents
Quotes About Planting Seeds for Teaching and Legacy
“If you plan for a year, plant a seed. If for ten years, plant a tree. If for a hundred years, teach the people. When you sow a seed once, you will reap a single harvest. When you teach the people, you will reap a hundred harvests.” — Guan Zhong (720-645 BC)
“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” — Henry Adams
“The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.” — William James
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela
“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.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” — Plutarch
“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” — Robert Frost
“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” — Neil Postman
“One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.” — Chinese Proverb
“Teachers plant seeds of knowledge that grow forever.” — Anonymous
“The influence of a good teacher can never be erased.” — Anonymous
Inspirational Quotes About Planting Seeds and Growth
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” — Aristotle
“What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.” — Meister Eckhart
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” — Anonymous
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” — Anonymous
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” — Anonymous
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” — Anonymous
Quotes About Investing in the Future
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” — Benjamin Franklin
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” — Malcolm X
“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” — Ralph Marston
Quotes About Patience and Planting Seeds
“Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.” — Saint Francis de Sales
The planting seeds quote that started this page still resonates with me more than any other. Teaching is the ultimate act of investing in a future you may never fully see. If any of these quotes about planting seeds spoke to you, share them with someone who needs to hear them today.
