Quotes for High School SEL
Bring these quotes to high school social emotional learning classes for a real-world lesson on how to grow to be responsible with good character. The quotes address important issues for teens, including making decisions, goal setting, positive relationships, and self-awareness. Each quote detail page includes a more complete explanation and teaching resources so you can make an instant social emotional learning or health and wellness lesson for your high school classroom. Explore below or browse by topic.
Quote on conflict resolution and healthy relationships
"In any conflict, be sure you know what you really want, and whether what you are doing is actually helping you get there."
Whatever your conflict is about, personal attacks and overreaction won't help resolve it...
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Quote on happiness and conscience
"Doing good feels good."
You know how your conscience can make you feel awful when you make a bad choice? That same conscience can make you feel great when you make a good choice...
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Quote on empowerment and making choices
"Sometimes you need to choose to do things you don’t want to do.
Just remember your reasons for choosing."
Feeling like a victim of all the "have to" tasks in life can really bring you down. See how a simple change in attitude about homework and other life tasks can make all the difference...
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Quote on responsibility to family and community
"You are connected to a family, a community, a world.
Use your power wisely."
Teens have incredible power to impact their family, their community and the world around them. But with that power comes responsibility...
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Quote on personal responsibility
“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should”
Life is about relationships. There are plenty of things a teen might be able to get away with, but…
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Quote on communication and positive relationships
"It’s not just what you say. It’s also how you say it."
As a teen, sometimes it feels really good to say they words you "should" say along with a little tone that lets the other person know you aren't happy about it. But there's a cost...
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Quote on perseverance and responsibility
"There’s the easy way and the right way."
Over time, easy outs cause a never-ending nagging pain, like a splinter that reminds you with every step that it's still embedded in your left...
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Quote on happiness
"There’s no road to happiness. It’s more of a winding path through hills and valleys. In the end, it’s the journey that matters."
Ever noticed how obsessed we are with finding happiness? Like there's a map with turn-by-turn directions to a place called Happiness?...
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Quote on making mistakes
“Making mistakes is part of growing up.
Just try to make the kind your family can laugh about over holiday dinner.”
Young people are supposed to make mistakes. But how do you try to make the good kind that encourage growth…
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Quote on self awareness and respect for others
"You be you— unless you’re a jerk."
Teens should embrace who they are. But "You be You" is about respecting each others' uniqueness. Its not permission to roll over others...
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Quote on life, growing up, and forgiving
"Keep your lessons. Let go of your scars. Make tomorrow a new day."
In teen life, stuff happens. Icky, painful, embarrassing stuff...When one of life's tough lessons has you down...
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Quote on happiness and sadness
"It’s ok to feel bad sometimes."
Everbody feels bad sometimes, especially teens...
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Quote on growing up and responsibility
"The great thing about growing up is you get to manage your own life. The bad thing about growing up is you need to manage your own life."
What teen hasn't felt this life fact? But when it gets hard to keep doing the responsible thing, remember why you're doing it-- for your own quality of life and goals...
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Quote on positive family relationships
"At some point you may find that your parents aren’t all you dreamed they would be. Hopefully you can love them for who they really are."
Most of us want our parents to love us for who we are. But can we return the kindness?
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Quote on finding happiness and joy
"Take joy in others’ joy, and you get joy to infinity."
Does someone else's win have to be someone else's failure? When you share others' happiness, you get lots more opportunities to be joyful...
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Quote on respect in sexuality
"Take charge of your own sexuality. Respect others’."
The majority of sexual offenses in our country are committed between people who know each other. The solution? Respect.
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Quote on goal setting and career choice
"The secret to success isn’t just doing what you love. It’s finding something you are interested in, and then working to be good at it."
For all young people, succesfully choosing the right career path starts with finding something you will be able to do, are interested in, and are willing to work for...
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Quote on growing up with good character
"It’s the sum of our small, everyday choices, that defines who we are."
As we grow into young adulthood, we figure out that the moments that define who we are usually aren't all that glamorous...
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