In Observance of the Coronaversary
Belinda wears her passion for education on her sleeve – she was a classroom teacher in the Chicago public-school system before she opened her store. Her knowledge of what kids need to learn and grow has been a driving force in the success of her business.
A year in the life of Chicago Teacher Store
Before COVID, Belinda Carucci’s 24-year-old Chicago shop was busy and thriving, thanks, in part, to her frequent and folksy posts on Facebook. Her large and loyal following of teachers and parents often tuned in for product recommendations and fun encouragement, and then followed up with visits to the store’s Bucktown location. But when the pandemic hit and wore on into the spring and summer, Facebook become a Chicago Teacher Store diary of sorts, in which Belinda honestly presented the disappointing stop-and-go flow of the crisis and the ways it wreaked havoc on her business. Here are just some of the posts she wrote. As small business owners yourselves, you’ll be able to relate to her desperation and her gratitude and hope that things will improve this year.
March 4, 2020 Don’t panic, just be smart! And maybe post this learning chart from Trend Enterprises as a quick reminder to take extra care when washing your hands. Purchase it this week and we’ll laminate it – in case someone sneezes on it! March 13, 2020 As classes and schools consider closing down for a week or two, remember Chicago Teacher has plenty of resources to keep kids busy and on track. We are diligent about wiping down our counters and communal space every 30 to 45 minutes. We plan on staying open as long as we can. March 19, 2020 Temporary store hours today are 1 to 4 p.m. Private shopping is available 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 to 5 p.m.
ELAPSED TIME DICE Double Set of Dice, One Pair Yellow and One Pair White for Calculating Elapsed Time (Item #18848) Grade 3+. A SingleYellow Pair for Daytime Time Telling (Item# 18847) Grade 2+
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12 April 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com Koplow_EDL_03_20_FWopt.indd 1
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March 22, 2020 We will offer private shopping only starting Monday to follow the governor’s order to close our doors. Consider these options. 1. Call Chicago Teacher or email us to set up a time to shop. 2. Call us/email us to request workbooks and learning material to pick up. 3. Link to our Facebook Shop or Instagram Bio to find our favorite workbooks and learning activities. Order and have them shipped to your house. Staff will be in the store tomorrow for private shopping and to man the phone. We want to thank those who chose to shop in our store the last week. Be safe. Be healthy. March 23, 2020 It was awesome to get our first Instagram orders today! Let’s keep the learning going! Full speed ahead!
