Educational Dealer by Fahy-Williams Publishing

October 2021

FOR PEOPLE WHO SELL TO TEACHERS, PARENTS AND SCHOOLS

In-person school tours and more at EDspaces • New demands call for new designs for school furniture • Leadership tips that lead to growth • We Connect focuses on instructional materials & classroom resources • Product ideas for teachers & schools

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THE ISSUE

Tell Me Why by Kevin Fahy

As the owner or manager of a small business, do you ever wonder why we offer benefits to our employees? I know I do. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that our employees are overcompensated. Just the opposite, I think our employees are generally underpaid, and wish the company could afford to pay them more. I suspect that you feel the same way. What I have never fully understood is why we give them things other than money, as opposed to simply giving them the money that those other things cost, and letting them decide what they want to buy with it. Why should employers be picking and choosing from options such as health clubs or daycare services that some workers may want or need and others do not? Even with major, important benefits such as health insurance, I don’t see why companies should be responsible for deciding what sort of coverage an employee should have. Just pay more to each person and let that person buy the coverage he wants or is mandated to have. If you were to ask business owners how this system of “fringe” benefits developed, most would assume that it had something to do with avoiding income taxes. Some would probably recall hearing something about World War II affecting the adoption of employee benefits. Both notions are correct, but there is more to it. The idea dates back to the Industrial Revolution, which transformed the fabric of this country in the latter half of the 19th century, following the Civil War. Big

companies needed to draw workers away from the agrarian system in which most of them were still employed. In 1875, the American Express railroad company came up with an employee pension plan for that very purpose. Other railroads and other industries soon devised their own plans, and the concept of employee benefits was born. The practice preceded the world wars by generations and even preceded the income tax, which was established in 1913. Health insurance was not a thing back then, and would not become one for some time. Americans rarely visited doctors, although doctors did occasionally visit them, and there was no pharmaceutical industry in the modern sense. Life expectancy was much shorter, so there wasn’t the huge demand for elder care that we have today. Communities were building hospitals, however, and those hospitals struggled to find workable business models amid such a self-sufficient population. In 1929, the Baylor University hospital decided to try a departure from fee-for-service. It offered local teachers a medical plan that would cost them each 50 cents a month. In exchange, they were entitled to 21 days of annual hospital care at no extra charge. The idea caught on with other hospitals, which eventually became an association called “Blue Cross.” That is the point at which, as Rick Blaine would put it, “destiny took a hand.” During the Second World War, American economists worried about (continued on page 6) October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 3

October 2021

FOR PEOPLE WHO SELL TO TEACHERS, PARENTS AND SCHOOLS

The Issue

Tell Me Why by Kevin Fahy

Innovation Transforms Learning Environments

Visit Ed Dealer advertisers in Pittsburgh!

15 16

And It’s on Full Display at EDspaces 2021 EDspaces is home to best-of-breed professional learning including dedicated, pre-show distributor education.

Catalog Solutions Prepares for its One-of-a-Kind Conference The invitation-only conference is the only traditional trade show focused on instructional materials and classroom resources for dealers who specialize in grades pre-K through 12.

Visit Ed Dealer advertisers at the Rosen Centre! Best Practices for Staying Ahead of the Curve

Marco Group’s new COO reflects on his first nine months on the job, providing us with insight into what it takes to grow a successful manufacturing firm in today’s business climate.

30 Traumatized

Beware of organizational trauma – it’s more prevalent today than ever. Dr. Diana Hendel discusses the damage it can do to a business and how you can spot the signs.

About the Cover The Montour Elementary School in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, is a stop on the EDspaces facilities tour on Friday, November 5. Designed by Architectural Innovations LLC, the new 168,940-square-foot district-wide elementary school was completed in 2017. The building and outdoor learning areas provide students with an awareness of and appreciation for conservation of energy and the protection of the environment.

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4 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

Eye on Education Industry News Business Notes Cool & Hot New & True Index of Advertisers Ed Dealer Welcomes Howda Designs!

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THE ISSUE (continued from page 3) setting off the sort of hyper-inflation that had wracked Germany in the 1930s. In an effort to avoid it, the government instituted wage and price controls. With so many young men absorbed by the armed forces, and the war machine cranking up manufacturing, there was an enormous demand for workers. Since companies couldn’t jack up wages to attract employees, they used fringe benefits, including pensions and health insurance, to do so. Through the postwar expansion of the U.S. economy, the provision of benefits by employers became commonplace. From 1940 to 1965, the percentage of employers offering health insurance grew from 9 to 70. In 1954, Congress passed a law to

6 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

insure that such benefits were not taxable to employees, and in 1959 it created a plan to cover all federal workers. As most companies came to offer those benefits, it became inevitable that competitive firms would come up with other ones. One of the logical areas to explore was education. When I was in junior high school, my mother told me that she had a job offer from a major hospital. It would be a long commute, but there was an attractive fringe benefit. I would be able to attend the very expensive university that owned the hospital, tuition-free. I told her that I thought I was too young to commit to what college I wanted to attend, and she dropped the idea. What I told her was true, but

if I were to be totally honest it was not the whole reason I was cool to her offer. The university in question happened to be my father’s alma mater, and the campus was within an hour of my parents’ home. Like many young people in the late 1960s, I suffered from some kind of romantic notion about striking out on my own. At any rate, it’s one of those crossroad moments that I often think about late at night, after the TV is off and I’ve set my book down. If my easy chair were a time machine, I’m not sure what my call would be on that one. Back then, it was pretty much only the institutions of higher learning themselves that might offer such a generous benefit to employees. Over the years that situation has

changed, and lately it has changed dramatically. On September 9, I was intrigued by the following headline in The Wall Street Journal: “Amazon Dangles a New Perk in Fight for U.S. Workers: Free Bachelor’s Degrees.” My first thought was that there had to be a catch there someplace. According to the article, there’s not. The program will be available to all of Amazon’s 750,000 U.S. hourly workers once they have been employed for 90 days, at colleges nationwide. Part-time workers will get half-coverage, which includes tuition, books and fees. Other big retailers are moving in the same direction. Walmart announced in July that it would fully cover tuition and books for all its 1.5 million hourly workers at certain educational partners. In August, Target followed suit for its 340,000 domestic employees. None of these companies, by the way, demands anything in exchange for the free education. It’s not like West Point, where you get an education in exchange for a four-year commitment to the U.S. Army. If an employee wants to resign upon graduation, he or she is free to do so. The companies are trying to attract aspirational employees, many of whom will stay on and advance in the organization. To increase that likelihood, they are implementing other enhanced benefits, such as greater vacation time, flexible scheduling, and access to childcare. Like it or not, benefits are here to stay. We’re all competing to hire quality employees. As in most other respects, big companies have some inherent advantages in that competition, but small companies have advantages as well. Rest assured that big businesses will find ways to make use of their size. The rest of us had better do the same.

You can e-mail Kevin at kfahy@fwpi.com. October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 7

Innovation Transforms Learning Environments –

And It’s on Full Display at EDspaces by Adrienne Dayton Education Market Association

At EDmarketplace, exhibitors and specialty spaces comprise a future-forward exposition showcasing vibrant, creative, innovative, connected solutions to address the design needs of the built environment, PreK-12 through higher ed.

8 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

It’s been two years since the educational facilities market has gathered in person, and EDspaces is ready to welcome the industry back, November 3-5, 2021, in Pittsburgh. With a track record of continued growth and vitality, EDspaces leads the market as the premiere conference dedicated to understanding how the intersection of space, pedagogy, and technology impacts student performance. EDspaces is now owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, with the Education Market Association (EDmarket) coordinating the educational components of the event including sessions, tours, and the Educational Distribution Symposium. “EDmarket is proud to be the primary sponsor of EDspaces, working closely with the talented team at Emerald, the new producer of the event,” says Jim McGarry, EDmarket president/CEO. “This year marks the first in our 20-year sponsoring partnership as the content and education provider for EDspaces. Visit us at booth #1240 to learn about this partnership and all of the other new product introductions from 2021.” EDspaces is home to best-of-breed professional learning including dedicated, pre-show distributor education. Everyone involved in manufacturing and distribution is invited to participate in the pre-conference Educational Distribution Symposium on Tuesday afternoon, November 2. Join your colleagues for education market training

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and networking as EDspaces charts service goals, explores new ideas, and embraces strategies for success. Immersive educational experiences School and A+D attendees kick off EDspaces November 2 with an inspirational tour and two deep-dive preconference events focused on reimagining schools. This year, EDspaces delivers more than 50 accredited educational sessions in nine different tracks, taking place in six state-of-the-art classrooms designed by leading vendor and architectural firms. These unique learning environments provide an immersive experience. They allow participants to experience firsthand the cutting-edge educational spaces created and produced by Hord Coplan Macht, Legat Architects, Little Diversified

Architectural Consulting, Marotta Main Architects, mediatechnologies, and Moseley Architects. Discover and experience EDspaces continuing education content while contemplating student interaction, engagement, and reaction in these spaces. With an emphasis on various learning styles, the EDspaces education program includes 16 mini-sessions on the exhibit floor, plus three pre-conference events. Attendees can earn up to 15 continuing education hours for AIA, 12 hours for IDCEC, and four GBCI hours. Out of the 52 AIA sessions, 18 qualify for HSW credit. On Wednesday, November 3, the opening plenary will inspire attendees to envision a better, brighter future highlighted with a keynote by Bill

Strickland. Bill will share his thoughts on “Make the Impossible Possible: A Blueprint for Change” based on his experience as an education icon in Pittsburgh and worldwide. His presentation describes his personal journey from innercity youth to head of an organization that fosters art, occupational skills, architecture and light, plus the equal availability of quality-of-life for every person. Learn how these opportunities can create nurturing environments for students regardless of background and encourage educators to rethink their approach to physical space and its direct impact on learning. On the menu in the exhibit hall The opportunity to garner new ideas continues in the EDspaces exhibit hall. Discover more inspiration from more than

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150 outstanding companies. EDspaces provides the industry’s largest and most complete display of new products designed for student success. Take advantage of this timesaving, one-stop shop to see all that is new and innovative. An informative series of “snackable education sessions” in various specialty spaces adds to the EDspaces Experience. Attendees can enjoy lunch in the Zen Garden Café designed by ThenDesign Architecture. Enjoy scratch cooking that will showcase myriad delicious and creative offerings with ingredients from the local Pittsburgh community. Chef Greg Christian from Beyond Green will share his expertise on how to serve meals that are nutritious, sustainable, and affordable! And back again is EDfest, the allindustry social gathering. After two full

days of new ideas and learning, unwind, network, and enjoy the relaxed vibe starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday in the convention center. See real schools and learn about safety On Friday afternoon, choose from among nine new and renovated schools and universities featured on three EDfacility Tours, all departing from the convention center. This is your chance to look at cutting-edge ideas in real life usage by visiting multiple projects. You’ll hear from their school officials and architects about what went well and what they might do differently next time. K-12 tour stops include Montour Elementary School; Chartiers Valley Middle School; Peters Township High School; Energy Innovation

Center; Pressley Ridge School for the Deaf; and Mount Lebanon High School. On the college tour, attendees can visit Chatham University, Eden Hall; University of Pittsburgh, Posvar Hall; Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business Quad; and the Frick Environmental Center. For the ninth year, the American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education (AIA CAE) colocates its Fall Conference with EDspaces and serves as a valued Knowledge Partner. AIA CAE has designed an outdoor classroom for you to experience on the exhibit floor – emphasizing opportunities to think differently about designing outside and in nature. Since safety has become such a significant factor in the designs of today’s

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schools, the Campus Safety Conference (CSC) will co-locate with EDspaces for the first time. CSC provides intensive learning and collaboration among security, public safety, emergency management, administration, facilities, business, and IT professionals responsible for creating safer learning environments for K-12 districts and higher education. With this partnership, entire teams can experience the latest in facility and educational design while planning for a safe and secure learning environment. EDspaces continues to be the ultimate networking, education, and product-sourcing event in the education community. Step away from your desk for a few days, reload your brain and recharge your batteries, and then get back to work helping schools meet the challenges of the next generation of students. Register today at ed-spaces.com!

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Contact your sales rep for more information. 12 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com SW_Stories_EdDealer.indd 3

8/27/21 1:29 PM

CONNECT

Catalog Solutions Prepares for its One-of-a-Kind Conference by Dana Flaherty, Catalog Solutions

After the past, crazy 18 months, manufacturers, educational dealers, and invited guests are looking forward to attending the fourth annual We Connect School Supply Conference in Orlando, Florida, November 7-9, 2021. The invitation-only conference is the only traditional trade show focused on instructional materials and classroom resources for dealers who specialize in grades pre-K through 12. It is the only opportunity for everyone to come together to learn, network and re-establish friendships. The conference will be held at the Rosen Centre Hotel and features nearly 75 manufacturer booths showcasing the newest and best-selling products. Manufacturers provide exclusive show specials and door prizes – a huge benefit to buyers attending

the show. Door prizes are given out during Learning Journey discussions and educational sessions; and the receptions, dinners, and exhibit hours on the show floor. Prizes include free products, store credits, gift cards, and televisions! Each attendee is given one ticket for the door-prize drawing, but they can obtain additional tickets just by placing an order at a booth. Manufacturers hand out tickets for placing orders; the attendee then drops off the ticket to the We Connect booth. In 2019, at least 675 orders were placed through our manufacturers – the largest number of orders to date. A pre-conference event will be held on Saturday evening, November 6, at TopGolf, the premier golf entertainment complex

October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 13

We Connect’s Learning Journey sessions help dealers gain insights on each others’ successes.

in Orlando. You don’t need to be a golfer – it’s an event for both golfers and non-golfers to enjoy. Topgolf is a game that anyone can play (and win). The $75 ticket includes two hours of golf and a buffet for everyone to enjoy all evening. This event is always well attended by dealers and manufacturers who arrive early. On Sunday, November 7, while manufacturers are busy setting up their booths on the Conference floor, dealers will take part in the Learning Journey. Facilitated by their peers, these discussions and educational sessions give dealers a chance to learn about best practices, industry trends and much more. The Learning Journey is one of the highlights of each We Connect, and this year will be no exception. We have arranged a committee comprised of members of our dealer community to present on subjects that will be of interest to all dealers. Some of the

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discussions will focus on what has worked for dealers to become more successful; others will highlight ways to move forward and grow your business. If we are to succeed, it is important to learn how to change with the times and adapt to this ever-changing business world. Learning Journey sessions will provide the best opportunity for dealers to mix with their peers and gain insights into others’ successes. When the exhibit hall opens on Monday morning, November 8, dealers and guests will be able to proceed from booth to booth to learn about what new products are being introduced. They will also be able to place orders with “specials” that are exclusive to the We Connect Conference participants. Everyone moves at their own pace through the booths with plenty of time to talk with manufacturers and place orders for their retail locations. No one will want to miss the keynote speaker this year –

customer service experience expert David Avrin. The author of four books including Why Customers Leave (and How to Win Them Back), Avrin provides positive takeaways for every audience who hears him speak. He is a phenomenal, dynamic and energetic speaker who will excite everyone with the content he will share. Avrin will be talking to us about revitalizing our businesses and offering ways to regenerate from this postCOVID experience. He understands we need to adapt to the changed customer, and will help us reach the next level in our businesses. Avrin will be walking the floor and welcomes your questions. Copies of his book will also be available during the tradeshow. Be sure to view his introduction on the We Connect Facebook page. The Catalog Solutions team will be available throughout the event to answer questions, lend assistance and demonstrate their products. Between them, the Catalog Solutions team has more than 225 combined years of experience in educational marketing. Be sure to stop and visit with them to see the newest catalogs and web catalogs and discuss ways they can Set of 3 help to grow your business. What’s new at We Connect? Not much! This event has become so successful that everyone likes it the way it is. No other trade show in our industry allows dealers and manufacturers to get as much work done while also having fun. It’s the event you don’t want to miss.

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Best Practices

for Staying Ahead of the Curve by Tina Manzer

Marco Group’s Sonik Soft Seating collection offers colorful and comfy seating options that can be arranged for interaction, collaboration and comfort.

Jim Shepherd joined Marco Group as chief operating officer in January. It proved to be an interesting month for manufacturing across the country. According to the Institute for Supply Management, U.S. factory activity unexpectedly rebounded after the holidays amid a surge in new orders. It was an indicator to manufacturers like Marco Group that the prolonged slump due to the pandemic had probably bottomed out. Marco Group is, in fact, experiencing its best year ever in the educational furniture category, reports Jim. “Sales are up more than 40 percent with demand continuing well after our normal busy season,” he said in a recent interview. “Part of it is due to pent-up demand, but much of it is due to the efforts of our dealer network and internal sales team who have been increasing our exposure to end users.” Here, Jim discusses the manufacturing and leadership practices that helped Marco Group manage new growth, and explains how those practices will continue to shape Marco Group in the future. ED: How did your background prepare you for the rollercoaster ride that is 2021? Jim Shepherd: Before joining the company

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fulltime in January, I spent about five months working with Marco Group on process improvement. I have 30-plus years of low, medium, and high-volume manufacturing and lean manufacturing consulting experience. My Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees are in electrical engineering, and I also have an MBA. Even so, it certainly has been an exciting nine months. Right now, our biggest issues are supply chain disruptions and delays. They’ve limited our ability to respond as quickly as we would like. However, our significant investment in equipment, key products and continuous process improvement efforts positioned us well for 2021. We are very fortunate that the company’s owner is willing to invest in the business, and has the foresight to increase capacity to allow for planned growth. We continue to grow our sales and marketing teams, and develop our operations personnel. What aspects of your job are particularly appealing? I was attracted to the opportunity to join a family business of highly motivated and goal-oriented team players. We are all focused on innovation, quality products and growth. I have a fun drive into work every day knowing that the Marco Group team always comes together to satisfy our customers and get our products out the door. Like a family, we do not always agree. But in the end, when we set a direction, we are all in the same boat and rowing together.

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Please describe your “typical day.” I am not sure I have had a typical day yet but here goes. We start at 5:50 a.m. with an “All Hands” operations floor meeting. We recite our core values – Integrity, Teamwork, Innovation and Quality – and then discuss any performance, delivery, 5S, safety, and quality issues. After fielding questions, the shift starts at 6. In the first hour or so I catch up on emails, review our production schedules and prepare for an 8:30 production meeting. It brings production supervisors, maintenance, scheduling, customer service, supply chain, and engineering all together. It’s a standup review of yesterday’s production and challenges and the impact on today’s activities. It’s normally 15 minutes but sometimes runs to a half-hour. We use a “War Room” approach with our key performance indicators posted on the wall. We keep them updated for the day, week, and month. It allows us to focus on what drives the business without rehashing data that is there on the wall. We also discuss common opportunities to tackle and introduce items that may impact our positive production in the future. Afterwards, I usually walk the floor. I interact with the operators as much as I can without distracting them. Visual tools are in place at each workstation/machine to facilitate management walkabouts and operator discussions about what October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 17

Furniture in the Apex Series supports every stage and style of learning – from independent study to collaborative group work.

they are seeing on the floor. Some days I’ll touch base with maintenance and see how our project managers are doing. Lunch is off-site; a daily opportunity for our management team – CEO, COO, VP HR, VP Materials, and VP Engineering – to informally discuss strategy and tactics. It is especially helpful if we are working on difficult challenges that need long-term solutions. Afterwards, I review our plans for continuous efficiency and other areas of improvement. Unless there is an issue that needs to be resolved, I usually do another floor walkabout. We use several different Gemba tools to track daily items to address. I use these for morning meetings and production discussions. I also have an open-door policy, so people will stop in with updates or to discuss issues they are facing. By this time, I usually look at the clock and realize that it’s early evening. Maybe I should think about going home. How would you describe your purpose as the new leader of Marco Group? Really, it is very simple: be ethical, maintain high integrity, lead by example, and provide a direction and purpose. A very wise manager once told me there were only 18 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

five things that you must do as a supervisor (leader). The goal of doing these over and over every day relentlessly is to move forward and continually strive to improve. 1. Set a direction – Plan. 2. Follow up – Do. 3. Evaluate performance – Check. 4. Take corrective action or identify improvements – Act. 5. Report on progress and key performance indicators. What is one of the most important decisions you have made for your end users this year? Early in the year, the management team realized it could not predict what product schools would want post-COVID. So we considered what we could order and have available in sufficient quantity to meet demand in the second- and third-quarters – our busy season. The unpredictable supply chain was a challenge. We knew we would not be able to support every item in our extensive catalog at the same level we do in normal years, so we made educated bets and surged inventory on a limited set of key SKUs. For the most part, our bets paid off. We were able to handle the increased demand and growth. However, we could not support every order with our customary lead times. We

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www.jonti-craft.com/sinks missed some opportunities that we would have otherwise been able to fulfill. We appreciate our customers’ patience as we strive to fulfill all our orders with the quality products they expect from Marco Group. What would you like educational dealers to know about your business? That we are committed to satisfying their need for high-quality furniture. We will do everything we can within the limits of the supply chain issues. Marco Group is committed to industry growth. We are investing in our people, our equipment and our processes; expanding our sales and marketing teams, and growing our operation. We will partner with you to help identify opportunities and close deals. We are also developing new tools, webbased and otherwise, to make your buying experience easier and more convenient. We are very optimistic regarding the next several years. Our products are well suited to post-pandemic classroom environments and the needs of the educational market. We are also planning to introduce new and innovative products that will drive demand and sales and want you to think of Marco Group as the company that can – and will – go that extra step to meet your customer needs.

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EYE ON EDUCATION States and Schools Take Steps to Prevent Youth Suicide

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The Education Commission of the States reports that at least nine states – Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin – have enacted legislation around youth suicide prevention since the pandemic began. The laws require schools to include suicide prevention hotline information on student identification cards and, in some states, student planners and agendas. Grants have been created to support suicide prevention or mental health programs in schools, and more states are requiring prevention training for school staff. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental healthrelated emergency department visits increased for children 18 and younger, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For children ages 5 to 11, the number of mental-health related visits increased by 24 percent. Visits for children ages 12 to 17 increased by 31 percent. Today, students continue to report high levels of depression, anxiety and stress as barriers to learning, according to Education Dive. For the return of in-person instruction this fall, some districts prioritized students’ social-emotional well-being by focusing on relationship building, facilitating peer connections, and creating a welcoming environment. As a result, attendance has increased, office referrals have decreased, and students report using socialemotional learning strategies both inside and outside school settings. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has pledged $85 million in funding to address growing mental healthcare demands for children and adolescents.

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Schools charge that TikTok’s “devious licks” challenge is encouraging students to steal or destroy school property and post images of the vandalism to earn likes and follows. School bathrooms are often the target of the destruction with footage of shattered mirrors, broken toilets, and missing soap and paper-towel dispensers appearing on the popular short-video platform. Incidents have been reported in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Alaska. The

damage has led districts across the country to close some of their restrooms and create bathroom schedules. They warn of severe punishment for devious licks offenders. One Florida school district suspends students who participate in the challenge. They also face the possibility of removal from sports and clubs, and even arrest. Their families are forced to pay restitution. In Pennsylvania, students are criminally charged if they destroy a school bathroom. A TikTok spokesperson told McClatchy News that the platform was removing devious licks content and redirecting hashtags and search results to its community guidelines to discourage destructive behavior. “We expect our community to stay safe and create responsibly, and we do not allow content that promotes or enables criminal activities.”

New Spit Tests are Faster and Cheaper Testing students for COVID-19 could become easier for schools thanks to faster, less-invasive and less-expensive saliva-based tests, according to The 74. Developed at Yale University, Rutgers University and the University of Illinois, the tests do not yet have widespread use among schools. “Our data show that saliva is one of the best ways to find people early,” says Rebecca Lee Smith, PhD, a University of Illinois infectious disease epidemiologist. “The virus replicates in saliva before it moves to the nasal tissues.”

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EYE ON EDUCATION

Better NoteTaking with Paper Notebooks

In a bid to reclaim some balance between digital and analog learning this year, high school history and government teacher Benjamin Barbour is requiring his students to use paper notebooks. Screen time has been linked to “a host of deleterious effects,” he wrote in a post on edutopia.com. Besides – there are a number of proven benefits to pen-and-paper note taking. Here are some of the ones Benjamin outlined. • Using a notebook compels students to be more deliberate in the organization and presentation of their notes. They become more responsible for finding, adapting, and sticking to a method that works best for them.

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• Students who zero in on and practice a note-taking system that keeps them organized are developing an important lifelong skill. Processing and transcribing data and facts efficiently is important in every profession.

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• Taking notes by hand is more effective than typing on a laptop. A study by Pam A. Mueller of Princeton University and Daniel M. Oppenheimer of UCLA compared students who typed notes with ones who took notes by hand. While they found little statistical difference in either group’s ability to recall simple facts, the students who took notes by hand answered “conceptual application” questions – subjective, higher-level questions – better than those who typed notes. • The physical act of writing can help students remember better than just listening or reading, says the team at the Learning Strategies Center at Cornell University. In fact, they’ve come up with a proven note-taking method. Benjamin plans to coach his students on the Cornell system so that they can consistently organize takeaways from lectures and questions. “I’ll share with them how handwriting, legibility, and even aesthetics take on more importance when writing in a notebook, and the ways symbols or shorthand techniques can help them quickly capture information from fast-moving lectures and slide shows.” • Taking notes by hand gives students much-needed practice for college, where they may not be allowed to use electronics in the classroom.

• Students who take notes on devices are often bombarded with updates, messages, and notifications. “Plus, they’re distracted by the ever-present temptation to search the web,” says Benjamin. “Authentic learning requires concentration and deep, uninterrupted immersion in a topic.” • Notes in paper notebooks also help teachers monitor how well students understand the information. “When I review my students’ notebooks, I can quickly see if they’re following directions and keeping up with the material satisfactorily or if they’re taking disorganized or incomprehensible notes. In the latter case, I can instruct them on how to take better notes,” writes Benjamin. “I may deduct points from the assignment if the student does not adhere to an orderly system. In one class, I made notebook grades equivalent to assessment grades, a great incentive for students to maintain organized, high-quality notes.” Teachers can grade notebooks in a multitude of ways: organization, completion, legibility, correct answers for questions, etc. • Since drawing helps retention and memory, Benjamin has his students pause, look at their notes, and sketch an image next to key points. “I’ve also asked students to create maps on blank paper, or label and color predrawn maps, before cutting them out and gluing them in their notebooks,” Benjamin relates. “Having students utilize not only a pen and paper for class, but also colored pencils, markers, tape, glue, and scissors, adds a tactile dimension to note-taking.” Paper notebooks alone won’t solve the crisis of concentration or the multitasking problem, he writes. “Students will continue to daydream and doodle, but carving out a tech-free time to take notes or answer questions on paper allows students a short reprieve from digital distractions.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS EDmarket has received two Awards of Distinction from the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) for its online publication Essentials Magazine – the Annual Communicator Award for Digital Excellence and SIIA’s EXCEL Award. The awards honor the web-based design and production by EDmarket and its design firm, LTD Creative, an innovative, awardwinning web and graphic design firm specializing in associations. The Essentials Magazine microsite was developed in the fall of 2019 to facilitate user-friendly mobile access and increase reach to the educational facilities marketplace. The annual awards are sponsored by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. With more than 6,000 global entries, it’s the largest and most competitive awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals.

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Diversified Casework and Sheldon Labs, leading providers of laboratory casework solutions, are joining forces. Their new company will be known as Diversified Casework. The consolidation creates the largest manufacturer of wood laboratory casework in the United States, noted Dave Jahnke, president of Diversified Woodcrafts Inc., in an August press release. “It will focus on providing the highest level of service combined with premium quality products for the next 100 years,” he added. Diversified Casework produces quality science, research, and lab products, including science furniture and equipment, to create a unified and stronger presence in the laboratory marketplace. It will continue to promote and innovate Sheldon Labs’ industry-leading products, including the Axis Infinity and TEII Series, at its modern manufacturing facility in Suring, Wisconsin. The two companies combined have more than 160 years of operational excellence. For more information, email info@diversifiedcasework.com.

From August 5 through 8, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) held its first in-person tradeshow and conference since 2019. The show at the Minneapolis Convention Center featured nearly 300 exhibitors, and hosted more than 450 retailers, 230 sales reps and seven inventors, excluding onsite registrations. All attendees were required to social distance and wear face masks inside buildings in keeping with guidelines mandated on August 4 by the CDC and the city and state government. “We did it!” wrote Sue Warfield, ASTRA president, in the association magazine Toy Times. “With masks and safety protocols as best as we could provide, we met in person and it was amazing. It was the best medicine to see, touch, and order products; meet and greet our colleagues; learn from one another; and have fun at the social events.” Also in August, the board of the ABC Kids Expo, an in-person event for the juvenile products industry, postponed its September 2021

Introducing the new NTERSECT chair from show until 2022 to maximize protection from the Delta variant. “We are quickly pivoting to bring ABC Kids Expo to you through a new series of unique virtual opportunities this fall,” wrote Board Chair Lea Culliton from HABA USA. “We realize that vendors, retailers, industry professionals, and reps have a vested financial interest in the postponed 2021 event. We will proactively be reaching out to each of you. Vendors, please be patient as we devise some amazing rollover incentive plans or options for reimbursements. Stay tuned for more information!” Shortly afterward, The Toy Association postponed Toy Fair Dallas, scheduled for October 5 through 7. “We remain committed to the ‘possible’ and continue to focus our efforts on providing retail buyers and toymakers with effective ways to connect and do business,” said Steve Pasierb, Toy Association president and CEO. In 2020, the association’s pivot to digital business solutions included the launch of the Toy Fair Everywhere 24/7 digital marketplace and an exclusive series of retailer virtual-product-preview events that connect toymakers with top-tier buyers. Toy Fair New York 2022 is scheduled for Saturday, February 19 through Tuesday, February 22 in a newly expanded Jacob K. Javits Center.

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In July, Ancy Firnberg, founder of School Aids in Baton Rouge, passed away peacefully at home. She was 84. Ancy was born on January 7, 1937, in Alexandria, Louisiana, to Kathleen Peters Cruse and Joseph E. Cruse. She graduated from Bolton High School in 1954 and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Louisiana State University. Ancy taught first or second grades in Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and St. Amant; and kindergarten at Broadmoor United Methodist. In 1977, she took early retirement from teaching and opened School Aids Inc., a retail and catalog business specializing in educational materials, supplies and equipment for teachers and parents. Ancy was active in the National School Supply & Equipment Association, today the Education Market Association. She served on the board of directors and one term as secretary. She was a partner in the School Suppliers Catalog Group, a company that developed and published catalogs for the school supply industry. She is survived by her husband of 63 years, James W. “Jim” Firnberg, Sr., and four sons and daughters-in-law, James W. “Jamey” Firnberg, Jr. (Karen), Edward E. “Ted” Firnberg (Christy), William C. “Bill” Firnberg (Sherri), and Timothy C. “Tim” Firnberg (Shea), all of Baton Rouge; and four grandchildren. Ancy enjoyed good true crime novels and television shows, Words with Friends, and visits with her longtime friends. She adored her family and hosted many family get-togethers. Her stories will live on to be retold by her family who loved and will miss her greatly. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to a favorite charity.

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BUSINESS NOTES What do August’s Mixed Messages Mean for Q4?

The U.S. Commerce Department reported an increase in retail sales in August by 0.7 percent compared to the month before. The uptick caught most economists by surprise. Consensus estimates forecasted a decrease of 0.85 percent, according to a survey of economists by Fact Set. Back-to-school shopping may have given sales a boost. Department store sales rose 2.4 percent in August, based on Commerce Department figures. Because children were heading back to the classroom – some for the first time in more than a year – they purchased new clothing and other supplies. “The increase in August retail sales reflects the continued strength of the American consumer and the resilience of our nation’s retailers,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation (NRF). “In spite of the ongoing challenges of the global pandemic, concerns about the delta variant, and supply chain and workforce constraints, the retail industry continues to do what it does best: serve customers and support communities while keeping team members and associates safe and healthy.” NRF’s calculation of retail sales – which excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus on core retail – showed August was up 2.3 percent seasonally adjusted from July, and up 12 percent unadjusted year-over-year. “Once again, the golden rule of behavioral economics is proven right – always observe what people pay, not what they say,” notes Dr. Dan Geller of the Money Anxiety Index. While August retail sales increased (not counting automobile sales that are suffering from a chip shortage), the final August Survey of Consumer Sentiment by the University of Michigan registered a decline of 13.4 percent to 70.3 – “the least favorable economic prospects in more than a decade,” Geller pointed out. Only 20 percent of consumers were “highly optimistic” about a return to normal in the face of the delta variant in August, down from a third at the beginning of the summer, according to consumer insights company Numerator. Nearly 60 percent were “very or somewhat concerned” about holiday plans being disrupted by the pandemic, Berkeley Research Group found. Also, the number of people who said they had resumed preCOVID behaviors fell for the first time, from 39 percent in July to 27 percent in August, Numerator notes. Nearly half of them say they don’t expect a full reopening until 2022 or later. The comfort level of shopping without a mask also fell; dropping 15 percentage points from July to August. Thirty-four percent said they prefer to go in stores with mask requirements and 36 percent said they have a higher level of respect for businesses that enforce mask wearing, per Numerator research. Meanwhile, pandemic-related declines in tourism and office work surged. Comfort with traveling for leisure declined seven percentage points from July to August, says Numerator.

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Cool Hot innovations in the furniture and equipment category

1. ChildBrite’s Illumi Mite Light Table can be set to white in addition to several other colors. Children will be able to experience how light color interacts with other colored objects. childbrite.com EDspaces Booth #427 See us at We Connect Booth 210

2. The highly successful NTERSECT Seating Series from USACapitol has been re-imagined. Made in the USA, the chair features a onepiece, injection molded, blush-resistant shell, and a storm gray textured surface that is durable and easy-to-clean. Multiple colors are available. It’s where quality and affordability NTERSECT. usacapitol.com EDspaces Booth 1416

3. Create a unique area for studying, reading, and learning with the Canopy Cove from Jonti-Craft. Two storage units with a Write-n-Wipe back are joined by a canopy overhead. It provides space for books, games, and peripherals. jonti-craft.com EDspaces Booth 1732 See us at We Connect Booth 409 4. Squircle from Academia Furniture is now available in adjustable height – 15-1/2 inches to 19-1/2 inches – and three fixed heights: 13, 15 and 18 inches. The active-seating stool’s soft, durable foam seat and domed base gives students a comfortable and safe way to release energy. It can be paired with desks or tables, and in reading or lounge areas. academiafurniture.com EDspaces Booth 406

5. The Monarch Custom-Printed Markerboard from Aarco Products utilizes a unique printing process that results in a permanent, vibrant, and durable writing surface. aarcoproducts.com EDspaces Booth 411 6. Protect your surfaces from harsh cleaning chemicals with 3M Durable Protective Film from Pro Tapes & Specialties. The clear tape is perfect to use on high-touch areas that are cleaned repeatedly, including desks, lunch tables, touch-screens and push plates on doors. Removes cleanly. protapes.com

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Cool Hot 7. The BenchSeat from Certwood is the newest addition to the StorSeat family. Benchseat incorporates Multi-Level Soft Seating with Certwood’s innovative and award-winning Mobile Series Storage System. certwoodusa.com EDSpaces Booth 840

8. The 4-Way Window Easel from Wood Designs combines the WD991798 and the WD991930 to allow the easel to be used while you’re standing or sitting. The polycarbonate panel can be used to hang paintings or drawings, or it can also be written on with dry erase or washable markers. wooddesigns.com EDspaces Booth 1516 See us at We Connect Booth 206 9. The Kore Floor Wobbler helps children sit comfortably on the floor in one spot and also move naturally to help increase focus. It’s ideal for classrooms that require flexible or alternative seating. It features antimicrobial protection and ample finger space under the rim to prevent pinches. Made in the USA. Lifetime warranty. korestool.com EDspaces Booth 422

8 9

10. HowdaHugs from HowdaDesignz go from classroom to closet – easy to roll, stack, or stow – and are dependably in stock. Kids of all ages get adjustable support on the floor, in a chair, and even outdoors! One-hundred-percent American made, HowdaHugs have been providing sensory seating to schools since 2005. howda.com 11. Specialty Racks from Saturn Rack/ AWT World Trade are an efficient drying and storage solution, especially where space is limited. They’re versatile, affordable, and feature all-steel construction, a rustresistant, powder-coated finish, and a variety of shelving options. Specialty racks are available in a wide range of models to help optimize any work environment, from classrooms to studios. dryingandstorageracks.com sales@dryingandstorageracks.com

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12. The Wobble Chair from Kore Design has a gently-rounded bottom to encourage natural movement and increase secondary focus. It comes in vibrant colors and multiple sizes, from 10 to 18.7 inches. Made in the USA, the stool has built-in antimicrobial protection and a rubber pad for anti-slip and floor protection. korestool.com EDspaces Booth 422

13. Got Art Displays? If schools are already using their Screenflex Portable Divider anywhere to create temporary classrooms or set up before/afterschool programs, then the answer is YES! They also have Art Displays. dealersf.com Kevin Maas: KMaas@screenflex.com EDspaces Booth 1726

14. By inspiring imagination, the Zipline Playscape Collection stimulates motor skills and creates the perfect spot for forming new friendships. It helps children build upon their life skills as they build their own fun. jaxxbeanbags.com 15. The Mobile Teacher’s Stool with Storage from Children’s Factory includes a 1.5-inch-thick cushion available in walnut brown, blue, gray and sage. Its lower shelves are customizable, and a small whiteboard hangs from the side. childrensfactory.com EDspaces Booth 1054

16. With a gently-rounded bottom for active sitting, the Kids Adjustable Standard Wobble Chair can increase secondary focus! Seat height adjusts from 14 to 19 inches to grow with the child. It’s assembled in the USA with built-in antimicrobial protection in the seat and base. The new rubber pad offers anti-slip and floor protection! korestool.com EDspaces Booth 422

October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 29

Traumatized by Tina Manzer

Just when everything appeared to be getting better, businesses were hit with a trifecta of big challenges this summer – elevated COVID-19 infections, a shortage of labor and goods, and the tapering off of government stimulus. And that’s in addition to a disjointed and disrupted back-to-school season that has kept teachers, students, and businesses in our industry off balance for months. No wonder many of us may be experiencing what Diana Hendel, a leadership consultant and former hospital CEO, calls “organizational trauma.” It can take many forms, she explains. It can be “collective trauma” – the kind we’ve struggled with since last March. Or, it can be “shock and awe” trauma that occurs after an act of violence. It can be ongoing and cumulative, like systemic sexual harassment or racism. It can also be less dramatic, but still disruptive, like the ongoing threat of job loss or a cyber attack. Regardless of the specifics, trauma affects organizations in predictable and destructive ways. “It impacts individual employees and businesses as a whole,” says Dr. Hendel, who coauthored the book Trauma to Triumph, with Mark Goulston, MD. The subtitle, “A Roadmap for Leading Through Disruption and Thriving on the Other Side,” delivers the good news – when leaders navigate a traumatic event effectively, the organization doesn’t just survive. It can flourish in ways previously unimagined. Dr. Hendel writes from experience. In 2009, the hospital she led experienced a workplace shooting by a disgruntled employee. It shaped her own trajectory in becoming an expert in organizational trauma.

Seven symptoms

Trauma is different from the routine stress we all experience at work from time to time. Stress might be intense, but it eventually passes. Trauma overwhelms our protective

structure and sends us into survival mode. It leaves us vulnerable, shatters our sense of safety and security, and impacts how we look at the world. Dr. Hendel outlined some of trauma’s common signs to help leaders identify a crisis and maneuver safely through it. 1. Employees each create their own narrative Each person creates a story based on his or her own perspective, personal history, and relationship to those directly involved in the event or crisis. 2. Blaming and finger-pointing ensue Initially, most businesses experience a great degree of camaraderie and altruism in the face of a traumatic event, but once the question of “Why did this happen?” surfaces, speculation and second-guessing can cast a wide net of secondary blame. In the event of an economic meltdown, for instance, people might say, “Why didn’t the company see this was coming?” In the case of sexual harassment, they could say, “How could the bosses have been unaware?” 3. Feelings of guilt rise to the surface Those closest to a traumatic event may struggle with feelings of guilt: guilt that they’d missed a warning sign, hadn’t stopped it from happening, or hadn’t spoken up sooner. 4. Communication falters Communication is often haphazard initially, and then too little/too late as leaders struggle to steer between transparency and confidentiality. Trust and confidence can quickly erode as wild rumors spread and strong opinions surface. 5. The workforce polarizes People tend to divide into opposing factions. For example, in the company

30 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

that experienced a sexual harassment case, “Camp 1” believed and sided with the victims while “Camp 2” defended the accused. The organization became deeply divided. 6. A sense of shame arises People often worry that the financial scandal, act of violence, or the lawsuit will define them or the business they have been proud to work for. They may feel ashamed that their culture could give rise to such an event. 7. Trauma becomes unspeakable As trauma grows exceedingly difficult and painful to talk about, it borders on taboo. And when it isn’t addressed, people continue to struggle. Then the ongoing division/ polarization, blame, shame, and guilt deepens and hurts the culture. What’s damaged is collaboration, cooperation, cohesiveness, and teamwork. People’s belief and trust in one another erodes. You can see that trauma wears on an organization and can cause lasting destruction. But it’s never too late to recognize it, name it, and break the chain of repercussions. “Seeking help changes everything,” concludes Dr. Hendel. “This means helping the individuals directly impacted by the trauma and also addressing the damage that’s been done to the business as a whole. With a thoughtful and timely response, it’s possible to emerge with a culture that is stronger, more transparent, and better able to handle disruptions in the future.” Diana Hendel, PharmD, is the author of several books including Responsible: A Memoir, a riveting and deeply personal account of leading during a deadly workplace trauma. Mark Goulston, MD, FAPA, is a board-certified psychiatrist and the creator of Theory Y Executive Coaching for CEOs, presidents, founders, and entrepreneurs. For information on Trauma to Triumph, visit harpercollinsfocus.com.

New Perspectives = New Possibilities

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5 4 3

The all-wood Koala Walla Bing Bang from Learning Advantage is a fast-paced cooperative game for 2 to 6 players ages 4-plus. They help Wally the Koala climb the eucalyptus tree to reach leaves at the top. Then, before Wally slides down to the bottom, they get moving with active challenges. learningadvantage.com See us at We Connect Booths 310-312

The Stencil Mill (Item# 001953) from Primary Concepts is hot for fourth quarter! The catalog and online bestseller has all-new styling and is packaged for retail sales! Twenty-four durable plastic stencils (size 3-5/8 by 5-13/16 inches plus 1/4-inch category tab) are perfect for creating greeting cards, picture books, posters, and more! They’re color-coded by category for easy selection from the storage container. $19.99 SRP primaryconceptsdealer.com 800-660-8646 See us at We Connect Booths 517-519

32 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

The Tub of Number Tiles from Eureka is the perfect hands-on tool for practicing basic math concepts! The 175-piece set includes numbers 0-9 and mathematical symbols – it’s a musthave manipulative for the classroom and at home. eurekaschool.com 1-866-394-5047 See us at We Connect Booths 502, 504, 506

In the fun game Hoyle Super Me from The United States Playing Card Company, players win by empathizing with those in need, identifying solutions, and jumping in to lend a helping hand. carrie.devillez@ usplayingcard.com

The 36-count Halloween Fun Combos from Musgrave Pencil combine Halloween classic designs with a unique and fun topper. This tub of pencils is a must-have party favor, classroom handout, or a treat for jack-o-lantern adventures. pencils.net See us at We Connect Booth #505

6 7

The Toddler Jumbo Workbook from Scholastic is a big collection of playful, age-perfect pages (320 of them!) that help toddlers learn. Topic areas include fine-motor skills – tracing, coloring, and cutting – plus the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, and more. It comes with motivating stickers. scholastic.com/trcatalog See us at We Connect Booths 402, 404, 406

Dry Erase Learning Mats from Flipside Products make learning more fun! The economical bright white sheets are lightweight, cost-effective, and doublesided. They feature a thin, high-quality, non-ghosting, write-and-wipe surface. Available lined, blank, and in XY Axis variations starting January 2022. flipsideproducts.com See us at We Connect Booth #320

Customize the wooden tokens from Kardwell International for a fun, environmentally friendly, and interactive way to learn. The 1.5-inch wooden tokens are perfect for incentives, events, games, alphabets and more. 631-298-0005

Bob Ross rocks! The Bob Ross Rock Painting Kit includes paint, brushes, gel pens, and river rocks plus a permanent marker, dotting tool, and 12 projects and stencils. Hey, take it outside! Enjoy Bob Ross and his sweet wisdom using nature as your canvas. Order in bulk! 1-866-506-1949; for rush orders call 1-877-989-0009

Sandtastic’s Air Dry Modeling Clay is a luxuriously fine, smooth and easily workable material. It’s self-hardening with exceptional plasticity. Made for the beginner-to-advanced artist, the clay is suitable for all handbuilding methods and ready to use right out of the package. White, Terracotta and Black clay are available in different sizes and bulk bricks. For ages 4+, certified non-toxic, conforms to CPSIA. sandtastikproducts.com

October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 33

12 11 13

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Zip on, zip off!! From the makers of Cable Bites, ZipperBites easily attach to most zippers to bring personality and pizazz to your jacket, backpack, purse, etc.! Ten unique ZipperBites are sold in packs of six per style and have an MSRP of $8.00 each. dreams6usa.com

With the new Time Timer WASH, a touchless visual timer for hand washing, schools can improve attendance and keep teachers and students safe by following CDC recommendations. timetimer.com/ distributors

34 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

The Wikki Stix Fun Activity Book features 30 engaging, play-based learning activities that provide school readiness skills for preschoolers. They teach counting, number and shape awareness; letter recognition; visual discrimination, plus creative thinking and problem solving. Includes 72 Wikki Stix. wikkistix.com

The Eating in Season Ecologic Memory Game from Adventerra Games helps kids learn that fresh fruit is good for their bodies – and the planet! While they match pairs of cute fruits and veggies they find out which season is best for eating them. Contains 32 cards and a parent guide. adventerragamesusa.com

The unique granular Body Fluid Solidifier from Kore Design quickly absorbs and solidifies body and other organic fluids including blood, urine, vomit, feces and mucus. With all-natural Thyme Oil, it also assists in the elimination of odor. Generally Recognized as Safe (G.R.A.S.) by the FDA. korestool.com EDspaces Booth 422

BUSINESS NOTES (continued from page 26)

The number of employees telecommuting due to COVID-19 rose 400,000 in August, the first increase in work-from-home since late last year, according to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Based on Berkeley Research data, nearly 60 percent of consumers will use a mix of online and in-person shopping during the holidays. Just 13 percent plan to shop entirely in physical stores, while 24 percent plan to shop entirely online. Services like curbside pickup are likely to become important again.

Keep Hard Copies of these Important Business Documents, says Forbes

It’s become easier than ever for small businesses to scale back the use of printed documents thanks to cloud storage and online signing platforms. Still, printed copies of some essential documents should be kept readily available. Experts from Forbes’ Finance Council recently devised a list of the most crucial. “With these hard copies in hand, you can rest assured that your most important documentation has a physical ‘backup’ copy if anything should happen to your digital files,” said the article. Here are just a few. Tax returns “While the records and backup for tax returns can sometimes be destroyed after seven years, tax return copies should be kept on file from inception,” advises Shaune Scutellaro from CohnReznick LLP. Recent receipts and invoices “If you have a brick-and-mortar business, make sure you hang on to paper receipts and invoices for no less than 120 days,” recommends Paul Hadfield from Hadfield Group. “Consumers have up to four months from the date of a purchase to dispute a transaction and file a chargeback, and those items are valuable in this instance.” Your articles of incorporation “For S- and C- corps, this documentation is requested frequently by banks, investors and others. By all means digitize it, but keep a hard copy handy,” says Sheryl J. Moore from Wink Inc. Anything required by law to be displayed “All paper documents should be turned into digital files,” advises Dave Sackett from Visibility Corporation. “An exception may be hard copies of documents like business licenses and HR wage and benefit posters that may be required to be displayed by law.” Your lease “Landlords are notorious for keeping poor records of invoicing and fee escalations, and they may not be the most techsavvy,” notes Aaron Spool of Eventus Advisory Group. “Make sure you have the hard copy of your lease so you can refer back to

it whenever you see a price increase, additional fee or have any other dispute. Operating agreements “This document outlines who at your business can make critical decisions such as the ability to borrow money, the ability to negotiate contracts and the like. It tells the world who’s in charge,” says Chris Tierney of Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors. “If disaster strikes, this can help you get things done quickly when you need to engage companies to help at a moment’s notice.” Payroll journals and bank statements “It’s essential for any company to maintain these in paper copies,” recommended Kelly Shores from GCubed. “Along with your tax returns, these are the most critical documents to the organization from a financial perspective. They’re documents that you would not want to be lost.” Check stubs and check copies “It’s old school, but you should keep them if you have them – and your tax return package, which should include bank statements and backup, says Kurt Kunselman, from AccountingSuit. He recommends you keep them in a fireproof safe. October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 35

ADVERTISER INDEX

Company

Page

Website

Aarco Products 22 aarcoproducts.com Academia Furniture 9 academiafurniture.com AWT World Trade 37 awt-gpi.com Bob Ross 17 bobross.com Catalog Solutions 18 catalogsolutions.com Certwood Inside Back Cover certwood.com Childbrite by Manta-Ray 21 childbrite.com Children’s Factory 11 childrensfactory.com Educators Resource 21 erdealer.com Emerald 31 emeraldx.com Eureka / Css Industries 10 eurekaschool.com Flipside Products 16 flipsideproducts.com Glo Germ Company 23 glogerm.com Howda Designz 24 howda.com Jonti-Craft 19 jonti-craft.com Kardwell International 26 kardwell.com Kore Design LLC 20, 22, 24, 35 korestool.com

Company

Page

Website

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Ed Dealer Welcomes New Advertiser Howda Designz! The sole producer of HowdaSeats – flexible sensory seating for children and adults – Howda Designz won the EdSpaces Innovation Award (IIDA with EDmarket) in 2017 for excellence in product design for the learning environment. The seating is eco-friendly and all American-made. When founder Leslie Aisner Novak realized the range of classroom issues and student needs HowdaSeats addressed, she ramped up production to meet an international demand. Despite the COVID-19 challenges in the education sector, Howda has been able to stay well

A brand of Fahy-Williams Publishing About Fahy-Williams We’ve produced custom publications for organizations large and small, in addition to our own magazines, for 37 years. We fund them through advertising sales – that’s our superpower. Advertising is the reason all of the directories, magazines, and industry publications we create generate revenue for our partners. If you can imagine a publication that builds your brand, communicates with your members or customers, AND makes you money, we can deliver it. For more information, visit fwpi.com.

About Educational Dealer Educational Dealer Magazine has supported the school furniture/ classroom supply/teacher resource industry since 1984. Its profiles of people in our industry, education market updates, and product features strike a winning balance that meets the needs of retailers, catalogers, resellers and online merchants. We also publish Around the Table a publication of the Game Manufacturers Association Art Materials Retailer for People Who Sell Art Supplies edplay Dedicated to the Specialty Toy Industry

ASTRA Toy Times The Magazine of The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association

36 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

stocked and busy. In fact, social distancing and home or hybrid schooling has increased interest in HowdaSeats from other quarters ... like teachers who conduct Zoom classes, and everyone who discovers that HowdaSeats convert any chair to an ergonomic fit. “Back in 2005, the premise of our patented enhancements were that HowdaSeats “feel like a hug” – an adjustable fit that aligns the spine and supports the breath,” says Leslie. “After years of focusing on K-12 education, it shouldn’t surprise us that anyone can benefit from a hug!”

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The award-ainning MakerTron Makerspace Cabinet was designed to bring the STEM/ STEAM experience into the classroom. The fully collapsible unit extends to provide 93.5 inches of workspace. It can easily fit through most doors to be transported from space to space.

is simply, ‘The study of teaching methods, including the aims of education and the ways in which such goals may be achieved.’ Our vision is that furniture for education contributes towards those goals by making students feel safe, empowered and motivated in their environment. By doing so, our furniture supports each teacher’s and school’s pedagogy.” That support has been stretched in the past 18 months as the needs of schools and teachers has been rearranged due to COVID-19 and other market factors. “Currently, to address the needs of their community, schools are seeking a wider range of furniture elements – everything from outdoor structures to seating, and from ‘calming’ furniture to targeted STEM/STEAM solutions,” notes Jeff. Some of Pedagogy’s recent designs have been influenced by educators and students who want physical distancing without seclusion. Fully functional furniture that facilitates interpersonal engagement is key. “Our leadership meets regularly to discuss the demands of the market and our ability to provide outstanding products and services to support those demands. We are very adaptive.” Furniture that can provide ultimate flexibility and mobile configurations are in high demand right now, Jeff adds. “We are looking to go more organic in nature while promoting visually driven, collaborative elements that offer charging stations where possible.” Since it created the MakerTron Makerspace cabinet, Pedagogy Furniture’s lines have begun with an anchor that either solves a problem or supports pedagogy. “MakerTron was an immediate solution for schools that have to share resources,” explains Jeff. “The unit-on-wheels changes an ordinary classroom into a handson, project-based think tank. When one class finishes their lesson, the unit can be sanitized and moved to the next class with ease. “MakerTron is truly a building block that optimizes collaboration in an academic setting.” At their booth at EDspaces, Pedagogy Furniture will display “a few key pieces of imaginative furnishings,” in an effort to engage buyers in meaningful conversation. “We hope we have a few award winners!” Jeff laughs. “We’d like dealers to know that we are extremely adaptive and willing to work with them to meet the needs of their customers. Each conversation we have with a dealer is an opportunity for us to learn what is going on in their world and talk about providing solutions to the ever-changing needs of education. Our approach is to construct knowledge collaboratively so that we can inspire creativity.”

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Pedagogy Furniture recently joined the United For Growth (UFG) family with driving furniture design and leveraging manufacturing experts who have extensive experience in distribution and production of some of the most popular furniture components sold in the United States. Visit pedagogyfurniture.com. October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com 37

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Highly Adaptable

Pedagogy Furniture was founded in the spring of 2020 by Jeff Schreiner, an industry leader who has been honored with 14 product-design awards in the last 10 years.

Pedagogy’s SPYRO Teacher Desk Set provides personal desk space and a mobile lectern to instruct from different areas with ease. The adjustable electric lift desk and gas lift lectern seamlessly transition from sitting to standing postures for optimum health and well-being.

Specifically, the awards recognize the unique solutions each product provides, as well as their ability to meet the goals of today’s learning environments. “As a startup company, we were very excited that our MakerTron Makerspace cabinet, introduced last fall, won an innovation award at the 2020 EDSpaces conference,” says Jeff. “We’ve introduced a number of new products this year. We’ve been particularly pleased about the positive reaction to our Spyro Teacher Desk Set and RIU Curved Adjustable Book Box Desk. We’ve also introduced a new ‘Serenity Chair’ designed for students with special needs. “We love when an architect or designer comes to us with a vision and wants to talk about innovation,” he adds. With headquarters in Chardon, Ohio, Pedagogy Furniture collaborates with world-renowned component manufacturers – in the U.S. and abroad – to bring the best of breed furniture designs to market. Its products ship from several areas across the country, and Pedagogy is in the process of adding a warehouse on the West Coast. Right now, there are 15 employees. The name of the company reflects its mission to design, manufacture and distribute product that advances student engagement in a school’s pedagogy. “We are often asked about our name and how it relates to furniture,” said Jeff in a recent interview. “By definition, according to Britannica, pedagogy

(continued on page 37) 38 October 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com

soft seating

solutions

Create casual, comfortable and Create casual, comfortable and colorful seating areas that your colorful seating areas that your students will enjoy using for study, students will enjoy using for study, socializing or just relaxing! socializing or just relaxing!

Visit our our Booth Booth #1916 #1916 Visit Designing the Future of Education Designing the Future of Education Pittsburgh, PA | November 3-5, 2021 Pittsburgh, PA | November 3-5, 2021

Want to learn more, or place an order? Call 1-888-627-2601 or go to www.marcogroupinc.com Want to learn more, or place an order? Call 1-888-627-2601 or go to www.marcogroupinc.com