Keith Appleyard has worked within the post-16 sector since 1978 as a lecturer, college senior manager and teacher trainer. Over a 20-year period he was a tutor and course leader for PGCE/Cert Ed programmes at Lincoln College, and a tutor on these programmes at Nottingham Trent University. He has worked as an Ofsted inspector in the secondary sector and most recently as an ITT reviewer for SVUK and as a consultant for LSIS. Together with his wife Nancy he is the co-author of four other books on aspects of teacher training.

Nancy Appleyard taught communication studies at Lincoln College for 10 years. Since 2001 she has designed and delivered more wide-ranging and flexible communication and personal development programmes for Grantham College and the wider AE community (for example RAF bases and community houses). Currently she gives presentations to organisations throughout the East Midlands and, along with her husband Keith, gives lectures on communication and personal development to cruise ship audiences.

Susan Wallace is Emeritus Professor of Education at Nottingham Trent University where, for many years, part of her role was to support learning on the initial training courses for teachers in the FE sector. She has researched and published extensively on education, training and management of behaviour, and is a popular keynote speaker at conferences. Her particular interests are in mentoring and the motivation and behaviour of students.