It’s no secret that the teen brain is unique, and recent research from Daphna Shohamy, a neuroscientist at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, has confirmed striking differences in the brains of adolescents as compared to adults.

These differences shed light on the biology behind their reward-seeking behavior, and reveal that it actually evolved to help teens navigate the world around them during a pivotal time in their lives.

As millions of teens head back to the classroom, discover what the latest research into the adolescent brain reveals about how teens learn and interact with their environment — and whether this knowledge could help teachers better understand their students.