I was walking through Colonial Williamsburg recently. Despite the chilly weather, many couples and families wandered the historic streets, checking out the sights. As I walked, my route intersected with a family with young children. I heard one child, about seven years old, ask, “So this is right and this is left?” She looked up at her adult, shaking the corresponding hands. He nodded. She seemed satisfied—until she spun around ninety degrees and said, “But if I turn this way, this is right and this is left!” Her tone was confused and slightly smug, as if she’d caught her adult in a lie. I didn’t stop walking, so I missed the rest of the conversation, but I’m deeply curious about how he responded. Her confusion was so genuine and so reasonable. How could Bruton Parish Church be on her right when she was facing one direction and on her left when she turned around?
That young child’s curiosity made me smile. She identified something that didn’t make sense to her, and she was determined to figure it out. Children are naturally curious. For them, the world is full of unknowns simply because they’ve had so little time to experience it. As a result, their questions are sometimes seemingly endless. Still, we have much to learn from the curiosity children so naturally exhibit.
Responding negatively to students' curiosity sends a subtle (or sometimes explicit) message that they shouldn’t ask questions.
We—by which I mean adults—often have an unfortunate tendency to stifle children’s curiosity. We do this for reasons that are, admittedly, valid. Sometimes, the sheer volume of questions can be overwhelming. I’ve definitely been there—especially when every answer we provide seems to lead to yet another question. Other times, we discourage curiosity by misinterpreting it as nosiness or gossiping. What feels intrusive to us is, for young children, usually an attempt to make sense of something they don’t yet understand. Whether we intend to or not, responding negatively to their curiosity sends a subtle (or sometimes explicit) message that they shouldn’t ask questions. This undermines exactly what we hope they’ll always do as learners—ask, wonder, and seek understanding. In the long run, it works against our ultimate goal as educators: to inspire students to continue learning long after they’ve left our care.
When the Questions Stop Coming
The cost of dampening student curiosity becomes evident in both immediate and lasting ways. When we stifle students’ curiosity at school (or when their families do so at home, though we can’t control that), we discourage learning for its own sake. The natural curiosity children are born with gets replaced by a lack of interest in anything beyond their personal passions. This often leads to behavior challenges at school and students completing work solely for the grade it earns. In contrast, students who maintain their curiosity are more likely to engage with school, regardless of the subject, resulting in fewer behavior problems and less fixation on grades.
As a 5th grade teacher, I see this short-term impact firsthand during our study of voting rights in U.S. history. It’s a topic where students have little background knowledge, so their natural curiosity—or lack thereof—drives engagement. My curious students ask probing questions about why voting rights changed over time and what motivated people to support or oppose these changes. Others participate minimally, engaging only to meet expectations rather than from genuine interest.
Protecting curiosity takes intentional effort in our classrooms. When a student asks a challenging question, I often respond with, “What made you wonder about that?” This simple phrase validates their curiosity while helping them explore their own thinking. I’ve also learned to embrace the power of “I don’t know—let’s figure it out together.”
Since we can’t explore every question while keeping our lessons on track, I’ve developed strategies to honor curiosity without letting it derail instruction. With older students, I create a “Parking Lot” on the wall where they post questions on sticky notes. When we finish something early, we grab a question or two to discuss. For younger students, I model enthusiasm even when timing isn’t ideal: “What a fascinating question! We can’t explore it right now, but you should keep wondering about that!” The goal isn’t to answer every question but to affirm that asking them matters.
Curiosity Beyond the Classroom
Protecting curiosity in our classrooms isn’t just about better learning today—it shapes who our students become. Discouraging curiosity in children makes it far less likely that those children will become curious adults. Curious adults, in just about any profession or area of life, innovate and improve things. A lack of curious adults in medicine, in politics, in science, and more can severely impede the continued growth of a culture.
Curious people make better teachers, too. They love learning and demonstrate that passion to their students, which is invaluable. Curiosity also drives teachers to keep growing. They don’t reach a point where they feel they’ve mastered the job and can simply coast. Instead, curious teachers constantly seek new strategies, ideas, and ways to understand their students’ learning to better support it. Their curiosity extends to their students, fostering stronger relationships and deeper connections between students and their own learning.
Curiosity, whether in my students or myself, can drive our learning and push us forward.
Not only that, but I think our society is stronger when we are all curious. Curiosity allows us to ask questions instead of responding with frustration. It helps us wonder about what we don’t know, rather than assuming we see the whole picture. It enables us to recognize what we don’t understand and motivates us to seek clarity.
We should nurture and encourage the natural curiosity of children as much as possible. At the same time, we must foster curiosity in ourselves and other adults. I’m holding on to that little girl in Colonial Williamsburg—her confusion and her determination to understand. As we approach the end of this school year, I’m reminded that curiosity, whether in my students or myself, can drive our learning and push us forward.
Demystifying Discussion
Jennifer Orr offers elementary school educators strategies for teaching K-5 learners to engage in student-led academic conversations.
