A group of boys will sit behind a table outside Washington Mall on Wednesday, signing copies of a book that tells their stories.

Sadoya Peynado, the author of You Were My Teacher Too: We Learn Together, believes that is exactly as it should be.

Maciah Tucker, Brannon Thomas, Tyler DoCouto and Terjaylen Grant were all once students of hers. She spent years extending her role beyond the classroom. On weekends she’d take them fishing, farming and doing other things that kept them engaged.

A teacher at Elliot Primary School, she is still walking that path with two students there, Daelin Smith and Leo Serrano.

“I wrote this book to celebrate the six extraordinary boys who brightened my teaching journey and filled my days with joy, surprises and unforgettable lessons,” Ms Peynado said. “They taught me that teaching isn’t just about giving — it’s about humbly receiving. Every moment with them reminded me how magical, brilliant and wise children can be when we slow down and truly see them.”

While she sees Daelin and Leo daily, she never lost touch with the others: Maciah, now at Sandys Middle School; Brannon, a student at Dellwood Middle School; Terjaylen, who is in his final year at CedarBridge Academy; and Tyler, who is studying in England and will miss the book signing this week.

You Were My Teacher Too is intended as a gift to all of them, and also to “teachers, parents, para-educators and anyone who has ever wondered how to reach a child who learns differently”.

It marks a departure from Sex, Food and Chronic Illness: Feed Your Libido and Eat For A Stronger Libido: Sex, You and Food, her award-winning books that grew out of her work as a health coach.

Fuelled by her passion for her students, the idea for You Were My Teacher Too sat with her for a while before she was able to put her thoughts in writing.

“I just had to organise what I had in the back of my mind,” she said. “Frankly it took the entire year for me to really make sure that I put my idea on paper.”

By then, she had long since stopped thinking of herself as the only teacher in the room.

“Their challenge has softened me and moulded me into the person that I've become.”

The book itself is not simply a collection of memories. Ms Peynado said she wanted to provide guidance for parents, caregivers and teachers who are raising or working with children with different needs. Each child, she said, should be met where they are and accommodated according to their capabilities.

“There are books that inform us, books that inspire us, and books that remind us of who we are called to be. This is one of those rare books that does all three,” states the foreword of You Were My Teacher Too.

“In these pages you will not find theories, charts or distant observations. Instead, you will find something far more powerful: the lived truth of what it means to teach with your heart … These boys are not case studies. They are not labels. They are not challenges to be managed. They are human beings whose strengths shine when adults choose to understand rather than judge, support rather than punish, and listen rather than assume.”

Throughout the book are photographs taken over the years, capturing moments outside the classroom that helped to build trust and deepen the relationship between her and her students. There are also puzzles built around words and expressions the boys frequently used, something Ms Peynado included with her young readers in mind.

The boys embraced the project.

“They're very excited to be a part of a book, to think that they'll be on a shelf,” she said.

Wednesday's book signing is intended to be another lesson. Maciah, Brannon, Terjaylen, Daelin and Leo will sit at the table with her, handling sales and learning about the cost of printing books and the profit that comes from selling them.

“The idea is to let them feel highlighted. They sit there at the table, people purchase from them, and they learn that they can be special too at a different level,” she said.

“They're the authors of the day, even though the book is about them, just to let them know that they can write a book one day too. There's no limit to [what they can do].”

• Sadoya Peynado, Maciah Tucker, Brannon Thomas, Terjaylen Grant, Daelin Smith and Leo Serrano will sign copies of You Were My Teacher Too: We Learn Together outside Swiss Timing on Reid Street on Wednesday from 2pm to 5pm. Copies of the book are also available onAmazon.com, at Brown & Co and directly from the author: 735-1979,www.sexyouandfood.com, acceptit2014@gmail.com