ABOUT ME
Liza Raino-Ogden
Reader-in-Chief
I grew up in Lincoln Park in Chicago, and though I've lived in two other states and two other countries, Chicago is home. I'm very proud of my city. I went to Ohio for college where I majored in Creative Writing and minored in Art at Denison University. While there, I co-founded and captained the Denison Quidditch League--one of my proudest accomplishments to date.
I spent the spring of my junior year in Bath, England, where I studied Jane Austen, Phillip Pullman, J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Shakespeare, and children's literature. I fell in love with the British countryside, and found a home amongst all the literary history.
After my graduation from Denison, I spent six months in MaeMoh, Thailand, a tiny town about an hour outside of Chiang Mai, close to Lampang. I taught 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th grade English to more students than I could count. I have never felt so welcome and loved, especially when I was "Miss MaeMoh" in the Loy Kratong parade. I found a home surrounded by the rolling camel hills, surrounded by the nicest people I've ever met, all while eating the most delicious food on the planet.
Once I returned, I began working at a company where I taught reading and comprehension, where I found happiness for three years. I spent time as a tutor, as an Office Manager, and as a Consultant. I learned more in those three years than I ever could have imagined. It was those three years that pushed me to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where I learned all I could about dyslexia, comprehension, and reading development, so that I could open up The ReadEasy someday soon.
I have now been back in the Chicagoland area for five years, for the majority of them working with families who have not found success within the school system. I have students all over the city, and I love watching them grow. I am not currently accepting new students however, so I'm missing those connections as I'm working towards my dual teaching licensure in elementary and special education.
In those five years, I have also started running The ReadEasy out of Harmony Community Church, helping the community of North Lawndale. I have learned so much more about the importance of quality instruction as well as the obstacles facing those children who often need it most. I have spent countless hours worrying over finding transportation for far away students, ensuring that everyone had a full stomach, and creating a fun and safe environment to help foster relationships with students who may not always be apt to trust. Even with all these considerations, I have never loved anything more than watching all my students laugh with their favorite tutor and look forward to many more summers of reading.
Fun facts about me:
- An elephant once picked me up with its trunk and lifted me into the air.
- I have eaten a cricket and a cicada.
- I do not like foam.
- I love to read.
Feel free to contact me with questions!