Where Have All The Pencils Gone? 29 Tips for Classroom Pencil Management

Last week there was a great question posted on my Facebook page about how to manage pencils (sharpening, losing, etc) in the classroom. This is a common question and can be such a tough area to manage. Parents and friends have often said to me, “Our child has to take FORTY pencils to school?!?!?!?” Well, if they could only see Junior take half of his pencil off in one sharpening, it would be easier to understand. Our Facebook community weighed in with some great suggestions for pencil management…so great that I had to write this post so that they don’t get lost on my FB page. Here goes!

• • Diana said, “They are expected to sharpen enough pencils in the morning to get them through the day. The pencil sharpener is unplugged after the morning bell and stays that way. No exceptions. If they forget I say, “I’m sorry. How are you going to solve your problem?” They learn quickly. 

 

• • Cathy said, “Pencils are a PAIN! We didn’t give parents a choice and went to community supplies. We have TONS of pencils (each brought 25) and I have one of those sharpeners from Classroom Friendly Supplies. My “pencil sharpener” helper sharpens in the morning and then again before school is out. Some days this works and others it isn’t enough.”

 

• • Dotti said, “Pencils and first graders are tricky too. I 100% dislike sharpening pencils during class. What I do now is the best so far. I got the original idea from Pinterest but have tweeked it a bit for me. We do have community pencils. Each student is to make sure they are ready to start the day with 2 sharp pencils. I keep a can of sharp pencils close to the front on the teacher station and also one for dull or broken. The trade off is that when their pencil is dull or breaks they have to bring that and make the trade. It works well most of the time and I can sharpen the ones from that can in just a couple of minutes at the end of the day. I agree with everyone that it is a universal issue. And let’s face it, not all pencils are created equal!”

 

• • Granny Bee said, “I teach 2nd & I bought pencils w/ their names on them. They get 10 for the YEAR. One new one each month. If they want more they bring them from home. It’s THEIR responsibility to be prepared with a pencil.”

 

• • Swimming Into Second said, “Here’s a great idea from Ladybug’s Teacher Files”: CLICK HERE TO VIEW.

 

• • Michelle said, “Take away all pencils. Give each child two (labeled with class number or name written with sharpie). One pencil breaks-cool. If the second pencil breaks in the same day-use a crayon, or borrow from a neighbor. Pencils are sharpened in the morning or at the end of the day. I notice that the less pencils they have, the longer they can keep up with them.”

 

• • Jan said, “I sharpen up to 5 pencils for each student every morning, and then the pencil sharpener is “closed” for the day. If they didn’t sharpen enough, they can borrow from the lost and found pencil can or ask a neighbor. They soon learn to have enough sharpened pencils and I don’t waste precious time during the day fielding the “can I sharpen my pencil” question.”

 

• • Amanda said, “My class does the community pencils. Thy can have no more than two in their desk at a time (helps with the horders) and when it breaks hey can switch it out for another quietly. They cannot sharpen during the school day. Only the “pencil sharpener” (assigned class job) may sharpen during the day. If there are no sharp pencils thy have to borrow until he pencil sharpener sharpens pencils. Works really well and I never have to sharpen pencils!”

 

• • Christa said, “Sharpen pencils before the tardy bell, after both recesses, and again after specialist. If they need a sharp pencil at other times, they can use the small pencil sharpeners in their desk or borrow from a neighbor. (5th grade).”

 

• • Cat said, “I have 2 pencil sharpeners from classroom friendly supplies to cover problem one. 2 of my kids are in charge of picking up pencils every afternoon. 2 children are in charge of sharpening pencils in the afternoon and 2 are in charge of sharpening more in the morning before school starts. Everyone turns in their pencils every day and they can get another one whenever they need one, but have to turn in a pencil to get another one. The kids are totally in charge of pencils and I pretty much am not involved other than getting a fresh box of pencils from the cabinet when needed.”

 

• • John Blake said, “We have pencil buckets at each group. There are 4 pencils for each student in the bucket. If a pencil is dull, it is placed point-down in the bucket. Every morning, my Pencil Patrol replaces all dull pencils and makes sure the correct number are in the bucket. As for sharpening, I have 3 parents who volunteered at Open House to sharpen pencils at home. I send about 50-75 pencils home once a week. This has worked great in my room for many years. I never sharpen pencils!”

 

• • Tiffany said, “Each student had two pencils with their number on it. They must make sure they have 2 sharpened each morning by turning them in to exchange for one of my loaner pencils. I sharpen all pencils turned in at end of day and return students numbered pencils. They are only allowed to trade dull or broken ones in by asking. Is has been best system I have used and no problems!”

 

• • Susan said, “I like Ticonderoga pencils but have found that some of them even have sharpening issues. They are pricey compared to others but worth it most of the time.”

 

• • Bobette said, “I give each table of 4 kids 8 pencils. At the end of the day 8 pencils have to be turned back in or their table is last to line up. You should see them scrambling to find pencils at the end of the day!”

 

• • Krista said, “Get golf pencils for students who aren’t prepared! They won’t like them, so they will start bringing their own! At least it worked for me!”

 

• • Felicia said, “Pens do work for 1st graders. We use them in my school. It’s just not what teachers are used to. What’s the difference if the write with a pen or a pencil? No sharpening, no erasing, and they are usually motivated to write more because it’s a novelty. Just use pencils during math. Have a cup for each table or group with the pencils, give out the cup at the beginning of the math lesson and collect them at the end.”

 

• • Linda said, “I have an incentive program in my classroom and the kids have to purchase a pencil and or school supplies. They learn quickly that they need to keep their stuff. They also have to purchase a pass to use the restroom. It’s funny to hear other kids say, stop going to the bathroom, you are spending to much. It is a token system. I use poker chips to reward the kids. All the chips have different value amounts. red=50, green-30, blue=20, black=10 and white=5.If I decide to do a surprise desk check or even name tag check the kids can earn 50. I give them out for good behavior, for answering questions correctly, desk checks, homework check and anything else I come up with to reward the kids. If the kids talk or do anything that warrants them to be taken I take them. I usually take them for what they are worth for that day. Then to use the restroom costs 200 and school supplies are 300. It has really helped my kids add and subtract.”

 

• • Stacy said, “Allow them to have the pencils that you put lead in or erasable pens. That takes the sharpening completely away.”

 

• • Kim said, “I teach first. These pencils from School Specialty are the perfect size for primary grades. They aren’t as big as the old kind but are bigger than a regular pencil. They seldom break! Mostly, they get too dull to write! I love them!” SEE THEM HERE.

 

• • Fiona said, “I have seriously never sharpened my class’ pencils, maybe the odd one but that’s it. The actual teaching a child how to use a hand sharpener is very good for their motor control. I have also used mechanical pencils for the last few years. Have found these especially help those children who press so hard, the lead breaks so they have to adjust their pressure. They are finer and the children’s handwriting appears to become a lot neater far more quickly. I have year 2’s, 7/8 yo. I use 0.7mm lead in the mechanical pencils.”

 

• • Otelia said, “if a child pencil breaks, they go to your container and get one, but they have to leave their broken one in the container next to it. That way, at the end of the day you sharpen the pencils in the container of broken pencils and pit them in with some more sharpen pencils and you will not be without pencils. It worked for me.”
  • Brandon said, “You can add “Sharpen Pencils or school supplies” to Class dojo (a classroom management website) and would only be a click away with keeping up with points!”

 

• • Heather said, “The primary fat pencils work great!! I used them with 4th graders and they were way too much trouble to break, plus since they didn’t break, there wasn’t a need for the noisy sharpener. Yes, they cost a little more, but well worth it!”

 

• • Lori said, “Pens! That is my answer…AND…my students love to use pen!!! If the pencils weren’t so “cheaply” made along with the sharpeners, I think we all would be talking about something else. However, when the time arises that they must use pencil, they MUST sharpen before morning announcements AND only if it breaks during the day. Other than that, PEN is the way to go!”

 

• • Jennifer said, “I give students three pencils at the beginning of the year with. 3 pencil cap erasers and random ones for holidays from dollar store. Then about 2 Fridays a month, we do pencil check when they have to show me three pencils and three cap erasers otherwise they use their class cash to pay for new ones. At the end if each day, they can put pencils. “Four, no more” on their name tags for me to sharpen after school. They can trade throughout the day but since we just use the boring yellow pencils, they don’t tend to hoard.”

 

• • Lynn said, “I have the students take their pencil pouches home every Friday and parents know to refresh any supplies needed and 7 sharpen pencils come back. It is amazing how they keep up with their own supplies. I have very few that I have to give supplies to.”

 

• • Melissa said, “When I taught 1st & 3rd, they had to sharpen 3 pencils first thing in the morning and that lasted all day. I kept their extra pencils in a bag with their name on it and would replace one at a time. When they were out, they got a note home to send in more. While teaching 4th and 5th, I have an electric pencil sharpener. As long as I’m not teaching, I’m fine with them sharpening pencils whenever they need them. It is their responsibility to keep up with their pencils and replace them when they need more. I don’t supply pencils.”

 

• • Alisha said, “I have seat pockets with a pouch, each month I write the students’ names on pencils with a sharpie and wrap a piece of tape around it, they get a new eraser at the end of the month if they still have a pencil longer than their finger. If they happen to lose it or it is too short to sharpen I have a reject pencil can they can choose from. I also have one person in charge of sharpening every morning.”

 

• Maureen said, “I do 5 pencil Friday – that shows me you will be ready for the week to come. After you earn 4 stickers ( one every Friday) you get a mini ice cream sandwich. It’s a little costly but well worth it . Guideline – all tall #2 pencils sharpened.”

Wow, what awesome suggestions! Do you have a great solution to share? Please add it to the comment section below.