Regardless of where they teach, teachers impact students. While learning occurs without formal instruction, formal instruction is fundamental to the advancement of society. No matter how proficient a teacher is, however, not every student is always going to understand the teacher's lessons. Students comprehend lessons differently, and for teachers to reach them, they need to know the best ways to teach each student. Teachers also have to understand that not all students are capable of effective learning if the student's environment does not meet the student's needs. This theory is known as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. After Maslow's theory is recognized by a teacher, and the student's basic needs are met, the teacher can then apply Bloom's Taxonomy to ensure the student learns effectively. All children can learn if their teachers use valid, research-based teaching strategies.

Educators often share one teaching commonality when it comes to teaching: the implementation of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Currell). Simply put, Bloom’s Taxonomy is “a hierarchy of mental, emotional, and practical skills that can help you prompt deeper thinking in your learners” and that thinking leads to learning (Currell). An educational psychologist named Benjamin Bloom, born in 1913, established the levels of learning referred to as Bloom's Taxonomy (Cherry). At that time, and still today, the main thrust of Bloom's Taxonomy is to create a universal tool for educators to draw upon to teach and understand their students' learning patterns. Bloom divided these learning patterns into domains. The three domains of Bloom's Taxonomy used by educators are the cognitive domain, the affective domain, and the psychomotor domain. Of these three domains, the most well-known domain is the cognitive domain due to its importance in the classroom. More specifically, Bloom portrayed the cognitive domain as an image of a pyramid denoting six levels: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. The pyramid is an effect tool used to display how the levels must stay in sequential order, the way a pyramid's construction order cannot be mismatched.  Each trait is in sequential order because each trait “must have a solid foundation before continuing to build higher-order thinking skills” shown in the pyramid picture (Cherry). If students are overwhelmed with new knowledge before they have solidified previous knowledge, it will be harder for them to comprehend, and then remember new information. To prevent failure “the progression of knowledge matters because each level builds on the previous one” (Cherry). If the teacher does not follow the learning scale in order, the students will not be able to fully understand the material taught. For example, if a student has not fully remembered the content, he will not be able to move onto the second level of the cognitive domain, understanding.

While the cognitive domain receives the most attention, the psychomotor domain 

involves skill-building through physical activity. The psychomotor domain was developed after the other two domains as it was established in 1970 compared to the cognitive and active domains established in 1956 and 1965. There are three different versions of the psychomotor domain: one original idea, and two revised ideas. The two revised ideas created in 1972 by Harrow and Simpson were overly complex and not easy for learners to follow. The original idea, however, is still the most commonly used version. This version was developed in 1970 by R.H. Dave, an American psychologist who studied learning behaviors. 

R.H. Daves’s psychomotor domain is implemented over the other revised versions because “Dave's Psychomotor Domain is the simplest domain and easiest to apply” due to the learning traits he developed. These traits are Imitation, Manipulation, Precision, Articulation, and Naturalization (Gulzar). Imitation is when the student can imitate the teacher but not yet create the physical movement themself. The following level is when the student can produce the actions on their own. The final level is when the learner can proficiently perform the task as a second nature, meaning the student will be able to achieve the action without even thinking about it, for example when a person ties their shoes. 

Students in a learning environment learn differently from one another, as not everyone learns in the same manner. There are four different styles of learning: visual learning, auditory learning, tactile learning, and kinesthetic learning. For people to learn to the best of their ability, they must determine which learning style suits them best. Once students recognize the ideal way for them to learn information, they can filter most learning lessons to suit their own needs, but that self-awareness comes over time. It is most important that teachers incorporate varied teaching strategies to support all students of varying learning styles. Teachers are aware of this as “more than half of United States teachers are required to study learning styles for licensure exams” to teach in a classroom (“Learning About Learning Styles”). This research suggests that most proficient teachers will try to teach their students by using the most effective style for each student.

Depending on the teacher, some will incorporate their teaching to reach every child's learning style through learning strategies. These learning strategies involve “building on prior knowledge”, “encouraging metacognition”, “social learning or group work”, and “transfer of knowledge to new contexts” (“Learning About Learning Styles”). These teaching strategies benefit all student's learning. For example “social learning or group work” demonstrates “that students make significant learning gains when teachers implement a social classroom environment” therefore assisting each kid (“Learning About Learning Styles”). These types of activities cause students to interact about a topic of study, and that interaction creates conversation and questioning. Together, students grow in comfort about a topic and aid one another in better understanding it. When these learning strategies are implemented, they help students become more versatile in all areas of learning, not just one specific style. Ongoing scientific research has proven and continues to prove the efficacy of these strategies.

Researchers, however, also continue to challenge the idea of learning styles in an effort to continue to discover what helps children learn best. While evidence exists that supports the idea of learning styles, “Learning About Learning Styles” challenges this idea stating that “the learning styles model has the potential to undermine student growth”, contradicting the effectiveness of the idea of teachers gearing their teaching toward individual students' learning styles (“Learning About Learning Styles”). This claim means if a teacher pinpoints a lesson in only one learning style to benefit the potential learning style of a student, the student may miss out on the exploration of the other styles they could benefit from as well. By a teacher only teaching in one learning style, students have less of a chance of developing their other styles of learning. Therefore teachers, instead of using a targeted student and that student's learning style, need to vary their instruction to include all learning styles so all students in the classroom are able to have their learning style needs met.

One aspect of classroom learning involves the kinesthetic style of learning. Teachers who incorporate some physical activity into the classroom environment also boost children's learning potential. Unfortunately, the majority of public schools do not require these breaks in the classroom. In fact, Colorado is the only state required by law to implement physical activity breaks as part of its elementary school curriculum. Besides Colorado elementary schools, no public middle or high schools require physical activity breaks during class time. Moreover, “Schools in disadvantaged districts didn’t complete as many activity breaks as schools in wealthier districts”, in other words, the presence of physical activity in schools also depends on the socioeconomics of the district (Baily). As well as physical activity increasing learning potential, it can also be a step towards providing insight into the health of each student. Without exercise, children are slowly gaining weight as the future progresses. According to a study “over the past few decades, child obesity rates have tripled in the U.S., and today, the country has some of the highest obesity rates in the world” (“Obesity Prevention Source”). Physical exercise in the classroom will not solve this problem as a whole, but it can contribute to a healthier lifestyle, and point children in the right direction for taking more responsibility for their bodies.

Regarding Physical activity, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that all children should participate in at least 60 minutes of exercise each day as it is highly beneficial. This requirement has not been met as “experts estimate less than 24% of children between the ages of 6 and 17 in the United States participate in 60 minutes of physical activity per day” (“The Benefits of Physical Activity and Exercise in the Classroom”). One strategy to improve this dilemma would be to encourage teachers to apply movement in the classroom. Teachers could assist in this matter by implementing physical education into instruction as part of learning (“Integrate Classroom Physical Activity in School”). An example of adding physical activity in the classroom could be to include sets of short two-minute breaks for movement. Some of these activities could be dancing, scavenger hunts, and/or stretching, or other physical activities like jumping jacks and skipping. These activities do not replicate a physical education class but instead provide physical activity breaks. Likewise, teachers should not withhold these breaks as a form of discipline in the classroom. After physical breaks, the students tend to be more focused and ultimately, more productive.

There has been much scientific research to corroborate the benefits of physical activity in the classroom. Dr. John J. Ratey, M.D. and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School states learning can be improved in three levels from exercise. The first level is one to improve a person’s mindset, which improves attention, focus, and motivation. Dr. Ratey's claim for the second level of learning is that “it prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another” which basically means it prompts the brain to be ready to learn (Barile). The third level is similar to the second level in that both levels lead to the improvement in the brain’s hippocampus and nerve production, which implies improvement in memory and retention. To prove Dr. Ratey’s claims, the Naperville, Illinois school district conducted a test on students. In the test, the students performed physical activity in the morning before school and displayed “remarkable results in both wellness and academic performance” (Barile). Studies also show that not only does physical activity improve one's learning and cognitive skills, but it also improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, stress, and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 

Although teaching and learning styles are very important, they cannot be implemented into the teaching of students, if the students’ needs are not met beforehand. These needs are theorized as “Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs” by Abraham Maslow. Most of these needs consist outside of the classroom. The first and most important need is the Physiological need. This need mainly consists of essential physical needs such as food, water, shelter, and sleep. If this need is not met for or by the student, the student will have less or no success in the classroom. If, for example, a student “is extremely hungry, it’s hard to focus on anything else besides food”, meaning they will be unable to center their focus in the classroom on academic activities (Hopper). This need also applies to sleep and students coming to class sleep-deprived, will less likely be able to cognitively retain as much information. The second need: Safety, can also apply to sleep deprivation because if the student does not feel safe, depending on their circumstances, they will not be able to receive the full amount of sleep desired. The last three needs: love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, are not as important to learning as the first two needs, which are the concrete base of Maslow’s pyramid. Overall, if the needs are not met, students will not be able to learn effectively. 

Students generally have an innate ability, and desire, to learn, but if their physiological needs are not satisfied, they will not be able to successfully learn. If all their needs, outside of the classroom are met; however, then Bloom’s Taxonomy for Learning can be implemented in the classroom. Beyond students' basic needs being met, they also tend to learn differently. In this capacity, Bloom's works well as it also addresses, not only the taxonomy of learning, but also individual learning styles. “Learning about Learning Styles” suggests that to assist each student in their individual learning style, teachers can teach any lesson using all four learning styles to benefit all students. Additionally, to enhance learning in the classroom, Fresno Pacific University encourages movement in the classroom to improve cognitive function and improved learning.  While physical movement assists student focus and thus learning, unless the primary level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is addressed first, very little can occur to assist that needy child in his learning goals. 

In the future, school systems and teachers can help improve this situation by first recognizing the concerns. Teachers can check in on students and confirm that they are well-equipped at home with the proper necessities they require. Educators can give the students physical activity breaks, supply snacks, and be willing to talk to each student personally. The classroom can become a safe space for students undergoing unfortunate circumstances out of their control. Acknowledging that not every factor is in the school's control, little by little, the school systems can support students who need assistance in their personal lives. Every teacher has the opportunity to leave a positive impact on their students and if they understand every guideline around bettering their students, they will be able to successfully do so.