Research in psychology is necessary so that the education system can adequately understand and teach the students who enter their classrooms. Teachers need to understand the development of these children to address behavior that may occur. Student learning styles and motivation are critical for teachers to ensure that all students can reach their full potential. They can then apply the teaching theories to their classroom to find the best teaching methods for those specific students. Teachers at all age levels should have a background in this knowledge and continue to educate themselves on up-to-date research so that they can continually be able to self-evaluate. Human development is very important for all educators to understand. As a future educator of young children, it is important for me to be informed about all the changes my students will go through as they are at a critical age. Children at a young age are developing many cognitive skills. Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development describes the patterns that children will change based on new knowledge. These schemas are basic ideas that children have and then assimilate new ideas into an existing schema. When necessary, children will adapt to these schemas as they learn new information (Slavin, 2012, p. 32). These students will not only develop on a cognitive level, but also on a personal and social level. According to Erikson, human beings go through a series of crises that shape our personality and relationships with others. These crises include the development of confidence, autonomy, initiative, industry, and identity (Slavin, 2012, p.54). Without successfully acquiring these characteristics, students will have social and emotional problems. It is important...... half of the article ...... that it is necessary to meet the needs of these students and it is particularly important to refer to learning techniques and behavior management strategies. When all of this research is combined with a teacher who truly cares about impacting their students and seeing them succeed, a classroom has an excellent opportunity to reach their full potential. When thinking back to adults' favorite teachers, it is very common to hear about an elementary teacher who made a real impact on a student. I feel like these teachers were the ones who took the time to use their educational philosophies in impactful ways. I hope that as I continue my education here at IUP, I will be able to further my education in educational psychology and bring this knowledge into my future teaching career. Works Cited Slavin, Robert E. (2012). Educational psychology: theory and practice. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.