Student bodies have changed in dramatic ways. There are more differences in your classroom than ever, but many of these differences are below the surface. Children of divorced parents, children of single parents, children in blended families, children with LGBT parents, children from homeless families and military families all bring a different set of issues into your classroom. What do you need to know to manage these new classroom dynamics?

Eileen Kugler is author of Innovative Voices in Education: What It Takes to Engage Diverse Communities. Lisa King is co-author of "Today's Families: Who Are We & Why Does it Matter?" (Exchange magazine). Heather Wolpert-Gawron is an award-winning middle school teacher. Peter DeWitt (Ed.D.)a principal in Upstate, NY and is the author of Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students.