ZENO THE ZEBRA

The inspiration for writing this book was initiated as a result of my experience, while working as a Master teacher with the Guilford County Board of Education in Greensboro, North Carolina.   I was assigned to Sternberger Elementary School, as a Literacy/ Curriculum Facilitator from 1999-2001.

My duties were varied, numerous, and challenging, as I and other master teachers were expected to tread uncharted waters in the field of education.  We were expected to develop and establish teaching strategies-“Best Practices”- for reaching and teaching all students in pursuit of directing them to a pivotal point of statewide structure for learning, and evaluating students’ knowledge gained.

This experience proved both challenging and adventurous, because it required me to think about how and why I had taught the way I did and to clarify the processes through demonstration and writing for other teachers to model in their teaching.  I modeled reading and writing skills in classrooms where 30 to 40 % of the students were skills deficient in phonemic awareness, word recognition, word structure, critical and higher-level thinking, and writing structure.  How do you reach and teach students to write if they can’t read?

Now you comprehend the real world challenge for today’s teachers who face spending 35 to 60% of their time disciplining students who display bad behavior to camouflage their lack of basic skills.  Even so, this challenge enlightened my understanding of why low-literate, below grade level performers, and at-risk students are frustrated, insecure, and angry for feeling less valued for their lack of skills mastery; therefore, they disguise their feelings by bullying others and disrupting the class.   Their real cry is this: “Teach me to read, please.”

My heart–filled with compassion–raced in anticipation of reaching and teaching these students basic reading and writing skills they needed in preparation for achievement in school and for lifelong learning and productivity later in society.  I did not want to lose them, so I worked in collaboration with their teacher(s) to capture their attention, hook their interest, and instruct them with basic knowledge relevant to their lives and learning.

We read many interesting books to and with them, taught phonemes, word recognition and structure and the thinking/writing process along with other learning strategies differentiated to reach every child.  One of the four fourth grade teachers and I worked diligently with her class, since her 4th grade class contained the highest number of low-performers.  I used drama, laughter, seriousness, and voice inflections creating mystery and adventure with consistency of high expectations of performance from these students.

After nine months of struggling to reach and teach a class of 25 non- readers writing skills, we experienced the joys of our labors.  This class set a precedent.  Every child in the class passed the state standardized End of Grade tests (EOG’S).  “Wow!  The birth of sweet success had arrived after the nine months of expectancy, as a catalyst of change by demonstrating lessons, pioneering strategies, developing “best practices,” and praying many prayers.

My life lesson learned from this experience is never to give-up on a person who needs instruction and guidance.  One should not reject an opportunity to reach and teach a skills deficient, at-risk, or troubled learner-whether child, teen, or adult.  People are important, unique, and valued no matter how untamed or uncultivated one may appear; thus, the inspiration for writing Zeno the Zebra.

Zeno the Zebra is a book filled with adventure, mystery, survival skills, love for family and daily learning and living. Zeno takes you with him and his family on an adventure through the grasslands of Central and Eastern Africa in search of food and water, as they move cautiously aware of predators lurking near.

Although the book is juvenile, it can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.  Its vocabulary, brilliantly colorful illustrations, and story will keep readers captivated while ventur