The “sharp” and “broken” baskets strategy is the best!…not only do students break the pencil sharpeners but it’s also a huge distraction I’ve found as they use the sharpener station as a way to get out of their seat during instruction and it can’t be triggering to students who need a quiet space to focus.
I have a basket full of sharpened pencils so kids can get one when theirs gets dull. They leave the dull on there. Once most of the sharpened pencils are gone, I will sharpen all the dull ones again, or ask a responsible kid to do it. This is mostly just because I cant stand the noise of the sharpening all the time and keeps kids from wasting time sharpening for forever.
QUICK TIP: Never put colored pencils in an electric pencil sharpener! My mentor teacher told me this and it has been life changing!! Only sharpen colored pencils in those non-mechanical sharpeners...I would even take it a step further and only sharpen pencils with fancy, cute, and fun prints on them (like birthday or prize pencils) in non-mechanical sharpeners too, since those usually have plastic around them! Hope this helps :)
Strangely I’ve found the best pencil sharpening management tip is to keep one of those handheld plastic pencil sharpeners in my pocket. At the beginning of the year, when kids say they need to sharpen their pencil, I ask to see it. Usually I say “Nah, he still writes.” They quickly learn it doesn’t need to be pinpoint sharp to write and they stop asking so much. For the few that really need it sharpened, we just keep on task while I quietly take it then and there and sharpen it for them. (But I still keep a box of sharp pencils they can trade out on Mondays)
I’ve been teaching for 15 years. I sharpen 5 pencils per child at the beginning then I set up a sharpened and broken system. I am the only one to use the sharpener because my first few years they used them and broke them. I sharpen over a hundred pencils I buy at the beginning so I don’t have to sharpen the first few weeks. Just a suggestion. 😊
This worked with first graders but every Friday would be pencil sharpening day. We would gather all of their pencils and at a designated time, each student would come up with their 5-10 pencils and the TA would sharpen all of them while the teacher would be doing rotations or something. So that way, they have all of their pencils for the next week and wouldn’t have to use the sharpener all the time and be out of their seats and everything. I hope this helps!
i have created a class job list that is super vast so everyone has a job. i allow one student to sharpen pencils and they take the job really seriously
Don’t let kids touch the pencil sharpener!! I usually hang out near the pencil sharpener in the morning and sharpen as they come in. At least with covid that’s what I did. Before covid I just had a dull and sharp bin and I sharpened before or after school. Also…do not sharpen anything except for regular pencils in the electric sharpener. Colored pencils will ruin it. I also don’t put decorative pencils in mine because a lot of them are wrapped in a plastic material and will ruin the sharpener.
Idea to save those workbooks for later years!: Make copies of the pages you want for the kiddos and then you can use the actual book as an example and save them for years to come!! Love your videos!!
I always buy them mechanical pencils at the beginning of the year and it lasts them a while. I also a, very strict with the sharpening. They only sharpen their pencils in the mornings and rarely during instruction time with my permission. Been with the same sharpener for 6 years now.
I say adults only for the pencil sharpener😊...it’s the only way to make them last. I sharpen pencils at the beginning of the day, and make sure they have three sharp ones total in their desk. I have had the same sharpener for 3 years now 😉
one of my mentor teachers during indoor recess would look up art tutorials for kids and they would all compete to draw their favorite characters like darth vader and spongebob and bluey! it helped them get off steam since it wasn’t “educational” but they truly became more confident over the time i was there from just these fun little competitions during free time! my mentor teacher would hang his up in the classroom too, so they could always look back at what his looked like and they would sometimes try to redraw old ones!
I’m switching classrooms again this year…. Third times the charm! You know what that means, classroom set up videos and hauls! Thanks for sharing your finds. I’ll be sure to share mine when I finish my summer grad classes ❤️
In my student teaching, my mentor teacher would not let the kids sharpen pencils and they are 3rd graders. Either her or I would sharpen them before or after class. This is going to be my first year teaching and I will do the same.
I had first grade and I gave one student the job of pencil sharpener! I had about 30 pencils pre sharpened in a cup then had an additional cup that was empty for student to put their broken pencils. This way they can come grab a pencil that’s already sharpened instead of going to the pencil sharpener. At the end of the day only the student who was the pencil sharpener got to sharpen all of the broken pencils from the day.
I do not let my kids use the sharpener. I give them 5 pencils and do a pencil check on Friday. If they kept up with their 5 pencils they get a piece of candy if they did not then I replace what is missing and they can try again next week. I also sharpen all pencils on Friday.
I teach 4th and I use that exact pencil sharpener. It’s super helpful because the light comes on and it automatically stops when the pencil is sharpened and it doesn’t make it too sharp. I allow students to sharpen before the final morning bell and I have sign that I flip down over the sharpener that says the sharpener is closed until the end of the day. Hope this helps! You’re doing great!
I’m an elementary major and in the classrooms that I work in we tell the kiddos to let us know when they need there pencils or colored pencils sharpened so they don’t break the sharpener and it works really well
My school buys the same pencil sharpeners! They are the best! I teach Kindergarten, so at the end of the week, I sharpen all their pencils so they are ready for the new week. I also keep some pre-sharpened just in case they littles press too hard and break the tip.
I have that sharpener. It is the best. There is a blue light letting you know when the pencil is sharpened. I have a sharpened and Unsharpened cup in the room. Then I either have it as a student job to sharpen or I would do it after the students left. I did keep the sharpened in the “teacher area”. Then accidents don’t happen.
You might want to invest in an electric pencil sharpener that can tolerate heavy usage if you are going to let your students use it. I give each student several sharpened pencils at the beginning of the month, but I still do not allow them to use mine. I give each student a small pencil sharpener which has a container for holding the shavings. You could also find an old fashioned pencil sharpener with the hand lever which can be bolted to a wall. Those last forever.
I sharpen a butt ton of pencils once all the kids go home to use the next day. I never let them use my sharpener for the same reason that you mentioned! I have the same sharpener that you got and it's awesome. Ain't nobody breaking that bad boy!
I have a team job (only 2 responsible students) to sharpen pencils before class begins and at dismissal/clean up time.i have 2 little tin cans from target dollar spot . One labeled needs sharpened and other labeled sharpened. The team only sharpens the pencils in the needs sharpen bins. Each student gets 4 to 5 pencils in th beginning of school year. I tell them that If your pencil breaks put it in needs sharpen bin for sharpen squad to so. If they aren't sharpen squad they aren't allowed to sharpen pencils.
Yes girl! I ALWAYS keep a secret sharpener. If the kids break there’s, oh well! And I tell them I’ll. Or roe one after school to sharpen pencils. Less kids get up to sharpen if the sharpener is broken 🌻
I have a sharp and dull cup of pencils. I let them go up and swap their pencils out whenever they want. They don’t have to ask and they never have to sharpen pencils. I do sharpen their special pencils during free time if they want me to but I don’t let them use the sharpener at all. It worked out super well for me! I plan on doing the same thing again this year.
After 10 years of teaching I finally decided to not let my students use the pencil sharpener. Guess what? I have had the same pencil sharpener for three years. In groups my kiddos shared a bin of pencils. I sharpened pencils about once a week-sometimes twice. Individually they have a pencil pouch with pencils. I sharpen them once a week.
My kids ask to sharpen their pencils because when I had a bucket of sharpened ones they each took one and forgot to put the dull ones back and then lost them in a 1st-grade teacher
I did the pencil challenge. My students had 5 sharpened pencils at the beginning of the week On Friday, I sent home the pencil sharpener and all the pencils with a volunteer parent to sharpen them and return on Monday.
Hide the pencil sharpener lmao. Don't let them use it. Someone donated 500 sharpened pencils to me. I give each kid three pencils, and next year, I think I will up it to 5. I tell them to switch them when they break.
Hi Madison. I agree with many of the other comments. I am the only person that uses the sharpener. I usually have a community pencil can with sharpened pencils and another can for the broken pencils. The students have 2-3 sharpened pencils at their desk at all times. If a pencil breaks, they use one of their other pencils. They can switch their broken ones for sharpened ones at a time when direct instruction isn’t occurring. Also, never use the electric sharpener for colored pencils. I just keep several handheld sharpeners for those. I hope this helps.
I don’t let students use my sharpener! I just check every morning to see if any need sharpened and I make sure to have more pencils in the table caddy than I have students so I don’t need to sharpen during class if one breaks.
I am a 4th year 3rd grade teacher and I do not allow my students to use the pencil sharpener. I just use the sharp and not sharp pencil bins and they use hand signals to let me know they need a pencil. if I am teaching then I will just stop by their desk and hand them one but if I am not giving instruction they give the signal and I give a thumbs up and they can go get one from the bins.
I have found it best if I do not let the kids sharpen their own pencils. I have one sharpener behind my desk. Kids have been told they can not use it. I keep a cup with sharpened pencils, and one full pencils to go in. This year, I am doing the travel toothbrush holders I found at Dollar Tree. Each child will have 5 pencils in their holder. I will sharpen them on Friday.
I dont set my classroom until late July were getting moved into a new building and the walls are different colors I just hope my new walls aren't white couse it would get to dirty but your videos are so fun to watch and inspiring.
Hi Madison Pencil Sharpener... I get a new one almost every year. Don't let them put colored pencils in them. I had those lap desks in my cart and I took them out... I just don't have the space to store them. Our Target does not have much at all yet. Target also has a cute Be Kind door mat...love it. It seems like the Target window is so small because they get wiped out.
I do not allow my kids to use the sharpener... I use sharpening pencils as a brain break during class. After we do attendance and stuff I have one student from the table group bring me pencils from the table. Only 2 each per kid. Then we will switch the person later during the day who brings them up. It doesn’t take long and gives a good brain break. The others can stand up and stretch, walk in place, etc. I keep two sharpeners... one for regular pencils and 1 for everything else... this is my old one!!! Kids don’t use either. 🤷🏻♀️ I’ve also done the keep a bunch sharpened and just exchange them. Depends on your kids. Seriously... If you get lighter fluid and a sharp edge it’ll get the contact paper off. Just make sure you have good ventilation... headache!!! We used this in college on the used books when we had to clean off old stickers... which is what contact paper is. Soak it down and let it sit... not long enough to dry... use a razor blade or slicer to get under the edge and pull it off... soak it again... so on and so forth.
Those finger-pointers could also be used to indicate finger spaces between words/sentences - at least that's how I used them when I taught first grade.
I do not let my kids use them. They are expected to have 2/3 pencils sharp for the day and every day at the end of the day I have one person sharpen for the next day.
Contact Xtacto they will replace it. There is a ph# on the box- they will ask you to send pic. I had the same issue, I made it a job for 1 student per month
Just like a lot of the other comments, I have a HUGE basket of sharpened pencils that they can trade out if theirs is broken. On the rare occasion that the basket is empty and someone needs to sharpen theirs, I base it off of the child. If it's a responsible student, they can use the pencil sharper, but if they're not so responsible, I'm definitely doing it for them 😂
Back when I was in 3rd grade my teacher did a student shout out and each month She would switch the student and give them a shout out and put the certificate on the front of the doors to everyone who walked back and see After the month is over she gave the certificate to the student that received the student shower now and on the back of it it said why she was proud of you and what you’re did
I NEVER let kids use the sharpener. I have a “dull” and “sharp” bin. I presharpen pencils and fill the sharp bucket. The students put their used pencils in the dull bin & get a new one. It saves sharpeners & I don’t have to hear the annoying pencil sharpener all day long. Win - win!
Nope! My students are not allowed to use the pencil sharpener. I don’t even use it in their presence. I just have a bunch of sharpened pencils ready if they need. 👍🏾
hello i love watching your videos you are the best you made me want to be a teacher so badly i have to wait 8 years in till i be a teacher because i am 15 year old , you can make a line on your table and you sharpen each person pencil that will help you more.
Most teachers get up to a certain amount (in the grand scheme of things, the reimbursement is nothing). I know that I personally can write off on taxes 500$ a year and that’s it. A lot of us rely on family and friends to fulfill our wishlists for that year, as well as families bringing in supplies for the students.