What is your sharpened pencil system?

Question

I teach second grade and I have a student assigned to the pencil sharpener. In the morning and again in the afternoon that child calls up each table and the kids sharpen two pencils each.

I also have a pencil box filled with sharpened pencils, but before I know it, it is empty.

It works well on some days and not on others.

I hate the loud sound of the sharpener. I hate having the kids standing at the trash can sharpening with hand sharpeners. And I hate when the ones in their desks fall out and there are shavings everywhere.

What is your system?

Thank you!!!

I hope everyone has a GREAT year!!!

Answer 1

I teach 2nd grade too.  I let them keep 4 pencils in their desks and they may sharpen 2 in the morning.  And that is it.  If they run out of sharp pencils during the day they can borrow one from a pencil basket.  I put colored electrical tape around the eraser end of the pencil.  That way my pencils are easy to spot and retrieve if the students forget to return the pencils they borrowed.  I sharpen any pencils from the "borrowing" basket before the kids get there in the morning.  I allow them to keep pencil sharpeners in their desks but they need to be the kind that catch the shavings.  They need to stay in their school boxes.  If the sharpeners start falling out of their desks regularly then that student needs to take his/hers home.  

Answer 2

I prefer the hand-held sharpeners for the reasons you cite.  If they drop their sharpener and spill the shavings, they should clean up with a tabletop-size brush and dustpan available in class.

Answer 3

Hello Penny in my class room Each one of my students have.. 2 sharpened pencils each ...The only person who uses the pencil sharpener...Its electric...Is me at the end of the day I check the cups at each table and I only sharpen the ones that need it...this has worked just fine for a number of years now...Good Luck...  

Answer 4

The teachers at our school require the kids to have a lidded pencil sharpener at their desk. They are allowed to sharpen one at the wall, then if they need more, they can do it at their desk - silently.