Our Teachers
About Jena Collins
Jena Collins, MA, is an educational therapist and the founder of The Literacy Room in Ojai, California. Her passion to promote literacy spans 25 years of teaching students in both public and private settings, as well as presenting numerous workshops and trainings on literacy for school districts, educators, and parents. She worked for the Ojai Unified School District for 17 years as a classroom teacher and dual immersion bilingual specialist and continues to hold a California multiple-subject teaching credential.
Formerly the Center Manager for the Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes® in Thousand Oaks, California, Jena commands great skill in the diagnosis of reading delays and instructional intervention at the one-on-one level. Jena has assessed and helped hundreds of struggling students with learning disabilities, attention issues, “working memory” deficits, and brain injury trauma to become readers who experience the confidence and pleasure of reading for a lifetime.
When her own young daughter struggled with dyslexia and reading, they tried the Lindamood-Bell™ method and soon her daughter's literacy went up three grade levels. Impressed with her daughter’s improvements and increased self-esteem, Jena trained in the Lindamood-Bell method. Despite being a reading specialist, it was through her Lindamood-Bell training that Jena truly learned how to teach the English language in a precise, directed way that kids can grasp and surpass their reading challenges.
Jena's older daughter was a gifted and talented student, leading them through the rigors of private school education and the college prep track. Jena honed her expertise and has helped countless students excel on their college entrance tests, essays, and applications. She also supports students through private tutoring for advanced courses such as AP subjects and advanced math.
Today, Jena combines her Lindamood-Bell experience with a myriad of other educational models, including Slingerland, Orton-Gillingham, and other reading programs that address dyslexia and dyslexic needs. In 2023, she received her Dyslexia Advocate Certificate from the Dyslexia Training Institute.
In addition to being a dyslexia specialist, Jena tutors K-12 students in language arts, math, social studies, Spanish, and the sciences.
Jena believes in the power and effectiveness of one-on-one instruction and tailors her wide variety of approaches to help each student in the way that works best for them. She knows first-hand that when the student is empowered, the whole family benefits.
Jena received her undergraduate degree in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and lived in Madrid, Spain while completing her degree. She received her Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Northridge.
About Christel Rogero
Christel Rogero has worked in education for more than 20 years and has lived in the Ojai Valley for 30+ years. She is an experienced educator who has worked in both the public and private sectors. In 2020, Christel joined The Literacy Room, where she takes pride in providing consistent educational coaching. Formally trained in Lindamood Bell™, Christel specializes in reading intervention.
Preceding The Literacy Room, Christel worked in special education and facilitated the Elementary Learning Center within a private setting. She spent years servicing students with multiple learning differences to close educational gaps. Christel’s approach with students is to build a safe, healthy, and successful relationship without academic dependency in a one-to-one environment.
A University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) graduate with honors, Christel holds a bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies (psychology, sociology, and history) and a minor in English literature. In addition to teaching, Christel’s passion for the outdoors includes backpacking, hiking, and farming. She cultivates lavender annually and yields daily fresh fruit and vegetables in the beautiful Ojai Valley.