Ask a five-year-old why the sky is blue, and you’ll get five follow-up questions.
Pose a similar question to a 15-year-old in the classroom, and you might get silence. One
teacher described exactly that in a Reddit post. She presented a simple problem to her students
and was met with total quiet. The moment left her stunned.
She’s not alone. Findings from the Pew Research Center revealed that 47% of teachers said
students showed no or little interest in learning.
Tutors are in an exceptional position to turn that around. Without thirty students competing for
attention, a tutoring session can become the place where curiosity gets its spark back.
Why Curiosity Fades in the First Place
Standardized testing, overcrowded classrooms, and the fear of giving a “wrong” answer all chip
away at a child’s willingness to ask questions.
Priti Rani, a tutor with years of classroom experience, says that kids stop raising their hands not
because they’ve stopped wondering. But because they’ve learned their questions don’t fit the
lesson plan.
Rigid pacing leaves no room for a tangent on volcanoes or architecture, even when that tangent
is what would hook a student
Create a Safe Space
The single biggest advantage a tutor has over a classroom teacher is space. The space to pause,
to follow a stray question, and to let a student sit with “not knowing something”.
That’s a deliberate practice, not an accident. Education researchers suggest “normalizing not
knowing” as a core habit of curious classrooms. When uncertainty is treated as part of the
process, students stop hiding confusion and start asking questions.
A tutor can model this directly. Admit when you’re unsure. Think out loud. And allow your
student to watch someone figure something out in real time.
Praise the Process
When a student tries an unconventional approach or asks an odd question, notice it out loud.
Celebrating effort and exploration teaches students that curiosity itself has value.
Leveraging Your Superpowers
Tutors who want to formalize this kind of instructional leadership sometimes pursue advanced study in the field, such as an EdD in Organizational Leadership online program.
Online EdD programs allow students to graduate in 32 months without pausing their careers. Plus, one course every 8 weeks means a better lifestyle balance.
Saint Leo University adds that an online organizational leadership doctorate brings these strategies into broader educational systems. The classroom may have trained curiosity out of a student. A good tutor can as easily train it back in.
Build Wonder Into the Session Before Explaining
Resist the urge to answer too fast.
One classroom strategy worth borrowing: pose a question or show something surprising before explaining it. Then let the student guess.
Education expert Dr Lori Friesen says that small moves like pausing before revealing an answer can shift a session from something a student endures to something they want to know more about.
“Ultimately, this small shift creates a classroom where focus is driven by interest, behavior improves through cooperation, and learning feels meaningful.” – Dr Lori Friesen, PhD.
Edutopia’s research on inquiry-based teaching concurs. A compelling image, a surprising statistic, or a quick “what do you think?” is enough to flip a student from passive to actively searching for answers.
Give Them Some Say
Choice counts more than most tutors realize. Letting a student pick which problem to tackle first or which topic to dig into during a review session hands them ownership.
Choice boards and mystery-style learning targets are classroom tools, but the underlying idea (let students steer part of the session) works as well one-on-one.
FAQs
Is curiosity connected to grades, or to how much a student enjoys a session?
Both. Curiosity has been linked to stronger math and literacy skills as early as kindergarten. Curious learners are also more likely to engage in divergent thinking.
How do I know if a student has lost their curiosity, or if they’re just shy?
Watch for the difference between quiet and disengaged. A shy student will light up or perk up when something interests them. A student who’s lost curiosity tends to go flat on topics they’d normally find engaging.
Does curiosity naturally decline as kids get older, or is it something schools cause?
Some of both. Researchers note that as people accumulate more knowledge, they may feel they have less to seek out. However, the sharper drop is tied to environment. Standardized testing, overcrowded classrooms, and fear of being wrong all suppress question-asking, regardless of age.
What’s the single easiest strategy to start with?
Delay the answer. Pose a question. Share a surprising fact. Make a prediction request before you explain anything. Edutopia’s research on inquiry-based instruction and classroom-tested curiosity strategies agrees this is one of the lowest-effort, highest-impact moves a tutor can make.
Curiosity in Numbers
| Stat | What it Means | Source |
| 58% | High school teachers and half of middle school teachers say students show little or no interest in learning | Pew Research |
| 72% | High school teachers say phone distraction is a major classroom issue | Pew Research |
| Ages 14 months to 5 years | Children ask an average of 107 questions per hour | JSTOR |
| Greater curiosity | Linked to higher math and literacy skills in kindergarteners | Nature |
Encouraging Curiosity
Tying abstract topics to real-life experiences is another way to make the lesson more relatable. They work better when they’re anchored to something a student already cares about.
A math lesson tied to sports stats. Or a science concept explained through a kitchen experiment reawakens relevance. There’s also a neurological reason this works: curiosity activates the brain’s reward system.
Fear of being wrong is what shuts curiosity down in the first place. Once a student feels safe attempting an answer, curiosity tends to follow.
