--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a teacher. A teacher is someone who…" description: "\"I'm a teacher. A teacher is someone who leads. There is no magic here. I do not walk on water. I do not part the sea. I just love children.\" — Marva Co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/marva-collins-12407_children_i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-l_1920725.jpg" --- # I'm a teacher. A teacher is someone who leads. There is no… ![“I'm a teacher. A teacher is someone who leads. There is no magic here. I do not walk on water. I do not part the sea. I just love children.” quote by Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/marva-collins-12407_children_i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-l_1920725.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/marva-collins-12407_children_i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-l_1920725.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/marva-collins-12407_children_i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-l_1920725.jpg) > “I'm a teacher. A teacher is someone who leads. There is no magic here. I do not walk on water. I do not part the sea. I just love children.” [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teaching is a leadership role without miracles; it relies on love for children, not supernatural abilities. **In simple terms:** Teaching is leading with love, not magic. Key Takeaway Focus on genuine care for students. Themes education leadership love Mood inspirational hopeful Type educational biographical When to use this quote - classroom management - teacher training - child development Key Concepts pedagogy inspiration Questions to Reflect On - How can teachers cultivate love for learning? - What practical steps support student growth? A Different Perspective Some may argue that exceptional talent is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Mentorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentorship/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [Our pain can be our greatest teacher. It leads us to places we'd never go on our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/our-pain-can-be-our-greatest-teacher-it-leads-us-to-places-we-d-never/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [I feel like every teacher out there has a teacher that impacted them in their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hill/i-feel-like-every-teacher-out-there-has-a-teacher-that-impacted-them/) [George Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hill/) > [You know how some people seem to think that their love for classical music makes them spiritual or at least something quite special? And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-stout/you-know-how-some-people-seem-to-think-that-their-love-for-classical/) [Ruth Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-stout/) > [I love children. They're so much fun and I would have a blast spoiling them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-hudgens/i-love-children-they-re-so-much-fun-and-i-would-have-a-blast-spoiling/) [Vanessa Hudgens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-hudgens/) > [I just ultimately wanted to be a mother. I love children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-heigl/i-just-ultimately-wanted-to-be-a-mother-i-love-children/) [Katherine Heigl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-heigl/) > [A person with no children says, "Well I just love children," and you say "Why?" and they say, "Because a child is so truthful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/a-person-with-no-children-says-well-i-just-love-children-and-you-say/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [I do love children, but I don't really talk about that in auditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-de-ravin/i-do-love-children-but-i-don-t-really-talk-about-that-in-auditions/) [Emilie de Ravin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilie-de-ravin/) > [All children are love children, he said, but only the best ones are ever called that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/all-children-are-love-children-he-said-but-only-the-best-ones-are/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [To put it simply, school readiness means creating in this country a public love of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-l-boyer/to-put-it-simply-school-readiness-means-creating-in-this-country-a/) [Ernest L. Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-l-boyer/) > [There's nothing like a love for our children. I love being a papa, and that's the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-sambora/there-s-nothing-like-a-love-for-our-children-i-love-being-a-papa-and/) [Richie Sambora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-sambora/) > [I realized relatively early on that I had no desire to be a mother whatsoever. I actually love children, but specifically other people's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gallop/i-realized-relatively-early-on-that-i-had-no-desire-to-be-a-mother/) [Cindy Gallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gallop/) > [Kindness to children, love for children, goodness to children-- these are the only investments that never fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/kindness-to-children-love-for-children-goodness-to-children-these-are/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I've always taken my love of children from my father. He was a children magnet. Suddenly, having my first child hit home what my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-carlyle/i-ve-always-taken-my-love-of-children-from-my-father-he-was-a/) [Robert Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-carlyle/) > [I love children, love spending time with them; I love getting things for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-edwards/i-love-children-love-spending-time-with-them-i-love-getting-things/) [Elizabeth Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-edwards/) > [I love children, but I don't think I can eat a whole one.- Bumper sticker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/i-love-children-but-i-don-t-think-i-can-eat-a-whole-one-bumper-sticker/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) ## More by Marva Collins > [Praise is essential in developing the right attitude toward learning and toward school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/praise-is-essential-in-developing-the-right-attitude-toward-learning/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [Kids don't fail. Teachers fail, school systems fail. The people who teach children that they are failures, they are the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/kids-don-t-fail-teachers-fail-school-systems-fail-the-people-who/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [You can't find me 20 children in Chicago, I don't care which section you go in - you can be on Michigan Avenue or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/you-can-t-find-me-20-children-in-chicago-i-don-t-care-which-section/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [A person cannot all of a sudden become good at what they do just by switching streams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/a-person-cannot-all-of-a-sudden-become-good-at-what-they-do-just-by/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [There isn't a certain time we should set aside to talk about God. God is part of our every waking moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/there-isn-t-a-certain-time-we-should-set-aside-to-talk-about-god-god/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [I cannot change the world, but I do not have to conform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/i-cannot-change-the-world-but-i-do-not-have-to-conform/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [Once children learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/once-children-learn-how-to-learn-nothing-is-going-to-narrow-their-mind/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [Determination and perseverance move the world; thinking that others will do it for you is a sure way to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/determination-and-perseverance-move-the-world-thinking-that-others/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [Students do not need to be labeled or measured any more than they are. They don't need more Federal funds, grants, and gimmicks. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/students-do-not-need-to-be-labeled-or-measured-any-more-than-they-are/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [One of the things that even wealthy children need is an education, and I think the problems I saw really have nothing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/one-of-the-things-that-even-wealthy-children-need-is-an-education-and/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [I don't have to be accountable to some authority, which is why I don't take federal funds. I don't want anyone's monies unless they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/i-don-t-have-to-be-accountable-to-some-authority-which-is-why-i-don-t/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [There is a lot of money to be made from miseducation, from the easy to read easy to learn textbooks, workbooks, teacher manuals, educational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/there-is-a-lot-of-money-to-be-made-from-miseducation-from-the-easy-to/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/trust-yourself-think-for-yourself-act-for-yourself-speak-for-yourself/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [Our children learn the phonetic method, which is why they're very good spellers, I suppose. Because rather than ABC or just saying a word,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/our-children-learn-the-phonetic-method-which-is-why-they-re-very-good/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) > [There is a brilliant child locked inside every student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/there-is-a-brilliant-child-locked-inside-every-student/) [Marva Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) [Explore all 55 Marva Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm a teacher. A teacher is someone who leads. There is no magic here. I do not walk on water. I do not part the sea. I just love children.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marva Collins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-leads-there-is-no-magic-here-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-leads-there-is-no-magic-here-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/marva-collins-12407_children_i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-l_1920725.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/marva-collins-12407_children_i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-l_1920725.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/marva-collins-12407_children_i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-l_1920725.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm a teacher. A teacher is someone who leads. There is no magic here. I do not walk on water. I do not part…” — Marva Collins", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marva Collins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marva-collins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm a teacher. A teacher is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-leads-there-is-no-magic-here-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marva-collins/i-m-a-teacher-a-teacher-is-someone-who-leads-there-is-no-magic-here-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```