Today we’d like to introduce you to Chingri Shimray.
Hi Chingri , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Early education has always been a passion of mine and I feel grateful to have a natural gift to be able to connect with those newborn to 4 years of age. As the oldest of four daughters, there was an innateness in caretaking over those younger than me.
My first job was working in the nursery at the church I grew up in from 2007-2017.
From 2013-2014 I was a substitute preschool teacher for Athena Montessori
2017: worked with and accompanied elementary school kids in a violin recital while playing electric guitar
Summer 2024: worked as a teaching assistant at Austin Tinkering School during their summer camp
2024-2026 Returned after a decade as a Teacher Guide at Athena Montessori Academy
There is a fulfilling feeling in being a part of the foundational years of a child and seeing their view of the world through the eyes of discovery and wonder.
After returning to Athena, I was inspired to write and illustrate “Janey the
Garden Fairy” based on the true,
inspirational life story of my coworker
Janey Lake. We met at Athena
Montessori Academy in 2014 — when I was a substitute teacher and Janey an assistant teacher. I was immediately drawn to Janey’s zany, unique, warm character. I returned to the school a decade later to work full-time, at which point Janey was now the “Garden Fairy” at Athena. Hearing Janey’s lessons on
kindness, environmental stewardship,
and activism to the kids, I knew her
message needed to be preserved and
even more broadly shared.
Janey served Athena Montessori
Academy for 12 years
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve written a couple children’s books before but never completed illustrating it all
dedicating time to write and illustrate a book while working a full time job was not easy
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Early childhood educator/caretaker and Children’s book writer
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
The odds of reuniting with Janey after a decade
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @crazydayzies
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cshimray
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lilpeace00
