35 John Dewey Quotes on Teachers and Education

These John Dewey quotes on art and education will give you a deeper appreciation of teachers.

John Dewey was an American philosopher and psychologist who was deeply passionate about education and social reform.

He had many inspiring ideas about democracy, ethics, politics, education, communication, and journalism.

A study by the University of Missouri found that art education can improve reading and math skills, as well as critical thinking and creativity.

This statistic could be used to support John Dewey’s belief that art and education are interconnected, and that education should aim to develop the whole person rather than just teach specific skills.

Are you interested in art, academics, or self-reflection?

This collection of John Dewey sayings on teaching will give you greater insight into these areas.

No matter what stage you’re at in your life, there is always an opportunity to learn and grow.

It’s worth it, in the long run, to invest in your education and learn everything that you can.

Being knowledgeable will allow you to experience life and appreciate art in completely new ways.

Share these John Dewey quotes on education with someone in your life who values knowledge and wisdom.

Don’t forget to also check out these Richard Feynman quotes about science, life, and learning.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Look through our complete collection of inspirational quotes here.

You will also enjoy our article on quotes about education.

John Dewey quotes on teachers, education and life

A study by the University of Sussex found that incorporating art and creativity in education can lead to improved academic performance, increased engagement, and higher self-esteem among students.

John Dewey’s emphasis on experiential learning and the integration of art into the curriculum aligns with this finding, further emphasizing the importance of incorporating art and creativity in education.

1. “Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another.” ― John Dewey

2. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” ― John Dewey

You will also enjoy our article on Teacher’s Day quotes.

3. “Art is the most effective mode of communications that exists.” ― John Dewey

4. “We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.” ― John Dewey

5. “Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination.” ― John Dewey

6. “Time and memory are true artists; they remold reality nearer to the heart’s desire.” ― John Dewey

7. “The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action.” ― John Dewey

8. “Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes.” ― John Dewey

9. “The belief that all genuine education comes about through experience does not mean that all experiences are genuinely or equally educative.” ― John Dewey

10. “Were all instructors to realize that the quality of mental process, not the production of correct answers, is the measure of educative growth something hardly less than a revolution in teaching would be worked.” ― John Dewey

Thought-provoking John Dewey quotes

A meta-analysis of over 200 studies conducted by the University of London found that feedback has a significant impact on student learning and achievement.

John Dewey’s emphasis on the importance of feedback aligns with this finding and highlights the need for teachers to provide timely and constructive feedback to their students to facilitate their growth and development.

11. “To me, faith means not worrying.” ― John Dewey

12. “We only think when we are confronted with problems.” ― John Dewey

13. “Skepticism: the mark and even the pose of the educated mind.” ― John Dewey

14. “Anyone who has begun to think places some portion of the world in jeopardy.” ― John Dewey

15. “Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.” ― John Dewey

16. “To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness.” ― John Dewey

17. “The good man is the man who, no matter how morally unworthy he has been, is moving to become better.” ― John Dewey

18. “Nature is the mother and the habitat of man, even if sometimes a stepmother and an unfriendly home.” ― John Dewey

19. “Just as a flower which seems beautiful and has color but no perfume, so are the fruitless words of the man who speaks them but does them not.” ― John Dewey

20. “Such happiness as life is capable of comes from the full participation of all our powers in the endeavor to wrest from each changing situation of experience its own full and unique meaning.” ― John Dewey

John Dewey quotes that will change your perspective

21. “No man’s credit is as good as his money.” ― John Dewey

22. “Without some goals and some efforts to reach it, no man can live.” ― John Dewey

23. “There’s all the difference in the world between having something to say, and having to say something.” ― John Dewey

24. “The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made. It requires troublesome work to undertake the alternation of old beliefs.” ― John Dewey

25. “We always live at the time we live and not at some other time, and only by extracting at each present time the full meaning of each present experience are we prepared for doing the same thing in the future.” ― John Dewey

John Dewey quotes about education

26. “Knowledge falters when imagination clips its wings or fears to use them.” ― John Dewey

27. “Expertness of taste is at once the result and reward of constant exercise of thinking.” ― John Dewey

28. “One lives with so many bad deeds on one’s conscience and some good intentions in one’s heart.” ― John Dewey

29. “Men’s fundamental attitudes toward the world are fixed by the scope and qualities of the activities in which they partake.” ― John Dewey

30. “Legislation is a matter of more or less intelligent improvisation aiming at palliating conditions by means of patchwork policies.” ― John Dewey

31. “Nature as a whole is a progressive realization of purpose strictly comparable to the realization of purpose in any single plant or animal.” ― John Dewey

32. “Method means that arrangement of subject matter which makes it most effective in use. Never is method something outside of the material.” ― John Dewey

33. “Some experiences are mis-educative.  Any experience is mis-educative that has the effect of arresting or distorting the growth of further experience.” ― John Dewey

34. “A tribe, let us say, is warlike. The successes for which it strives, the achievements upon which it sets store, are connected with fighting and victory.” ― John Dewey

35. “The plea for the predominance of learning to read in early school life because of the great importance attaching to literature seems to be a perversion.” ― John Dewey

What are your favorite John Dewey quotes on education and reflection?

As a scholar and academic reformer, John Dewey had a significant impact on the American education system.

These John Dewey quotes on teaching demonstrate his passion for learning and education.

If you want to honor his legacy, you should study hard, respect teachers, and keep your mind open to new ideas.

John Dewey was knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, including metaphysics, art, philosophy, logic, social theory, psychology, and ethics.

Using these skills, he was able to reform many aspects of the education system and change the way people approached teaching.

Let this collection of quotes on teaching give you a deeper respect for people with this incredible profession.

Share these John Dewey quotes with all of the teachers and students in your life.

What are your favorite John Dewey quotes and sayings on education and teachers?

Let us know in the comment section below.