Julie Schmidt Hassonis a researcher, author, speaker, and big fan of educators everywhere. Julie's official title is Assistant Professor of School Administration in the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University. She spent decades as a teacher and principal before becoming a professor. In addition to teaching graduate students, Julie conducts qualitative research in schools. Her research on teacher impact became the Chalk and Chances Project, which she founded in 2018. Julie's books,Safe, Seen, and Stretched in the Classroom: The Remarkable Ways Teachers Shape Students' LivesandPause, Ponder, and Persist in the Classroom: How Teachers Turn Challenges into Opportunities for Impactilluminate the many ways teachers create ripples of impact.

Laura Estes-Swilleyhas been a high school English teacher for over 22 years, teaching several different literature and writing courses from Advanced Placement to remedial. Laura earned National Board certification in 2005 and was named Teacher of the Year at her school and English Teacher of the Year in her district. Laura's students have won multiple awards for their writing and poetry, and her fiction and poetry have been featured in several publications. Laura collaborated with theWashington Postfor a report on teaching during the pandemic called "Dispatches from education's front lines" in the Fall of 2020. She is passionate about teaching and nurturing her students to become writers and readers who think for themselves.