Pencil sharpening. It's the number one problem in a first grade classroom. Now I KNOW you get what I am talking about. From losing pencils, to broken pencils to the constant sharpening…pencils are a problem.
Why is it that, just as you are starting a writing lesson, somebody decides they need to sharpen their pencil at just that very moment? You begin to speak and in the background you hear the grinding sound of the dreaded pencil sharpener. Is there any sound louder than that?
I've Tried All The Sharpeners
I've been teaching for a long time, so I've tried all the sharpeners. It started with this one. The hours I spent sharpening pencils. My poor fingers would be so sore by the time I finished sharpening all the kids pencils. Arghhhh………..
Then along came the electric sharpeners! I was thrilled and thought all my problems were solved. No more sore fingers! This would surely do the trick! I've had several different sharpeners and I can honestly say that if you still want an electric one, this is the best one on the market. I've had mine for years and it still works great.
But last year I decided I couldn't take one more year of pencil sharpening. I needed to figure out a way to put sharpening into the hands of the people actually using the pencils…..the kids!
The Day My Life Changed
I decided to ask for individual pencil sharpeners on my supply list. I knew it was risky. Was this going to cause a huge mess? Would there be pencil shavings everywhere? Will there be never ending pencil sharpening all day long?
But I knew my fingers…..my ears…..and my sanity couldn't take it one more year and so I went for it. And friend, let me tell you, it was the BEST decision I ever made!
I requested sharpeners that had a cap so that the shavings would be contained. Each child keeps their sharpener in their supply box and we made some ground rules right from the start.
- Pencil sharpeners are not a toy.
- Sharpen all your pencils first thing in the morning before class begins.
- Empty your sharpeners into the trash can, not in your supply box.
That's it. Easy peasy and it seriously changed my life! I give my students 3 pencils and it's their responsibility to sharpen their own pencils. I rarely have to sharpen a pencil any more.
In fact, I haven't had to empty my sharpener once this year. That's how often I DON'T sharpen pencils. (Seriously, look at the picture above. That's my actual pencil sharpener and thats all the shavings for this entire school year).
Colored Pencils Are My New Best Friend
The mini sharpeners have even made using colored pencils a pleasure to use. I used to dread letting the kids use colored pencils because they were forever breaking or getting dull and I had to sharpen them.
Now, whenever we decide to use colored pencils for a project, the kids sharpen the pencils themselves. They love using colored pencils because the can keep the tip nice and sharp, and I don't mind because I don't have to sharpen them!
So if you're still suffering with daily pencil sharpening, I challenge you to take the plunge and let your kids do it themselves! I promise, you won't regret it!
