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Control Pencil Chaos Once and For All!

June by Frogs, Fairies, and Lesson Plans |

Pencil Management in the Classroom

Like many teachers, I don’t like waste. It always shocked me to see my students going through so many pencils a week, not because they were using them, but because they were losing them! That is, until I started using a killer pencil management method!

You might have tried pencil management methods before, but none compare to what I’m about to teach you! Implementing this pencil management routine in your classroom during the first week of school sets you up for optimal pencil usage for the rest of the school year!

pencil management in the classroom

You will need:

  • 2 containers. One labeled “Sharp Pencils” and one labeled “Used Pencils”
  • 4 sharp pencils per student plus a few extra (about 10 more should do)
  • A heavy duty electric pencil sharpener

1. Label two containers.

Use any two containers you want. I prefer pencil boxes, but little buckets work too.

Label each container to show which one will have the sharp pencils and which one will have the used pencils. You can grab the labels here.

pencil management in the classroom
Get the labels!

2. Sharpen Pencils

You will need to sharpen lots and lots of pencils, about 4 per student. This is the only time you’ll have to sharpen so many at a time.

*This is the kind of job you can ask a parent volunteer to do for you.

3. Distribute and Explain

Give 2 sharp pencils to each student, and place the remaining sharp pencils in your pencil box labeled “Sharp Pencils”.

Explain to your students that they will always start their day with two sharp pencils. All they have to do is give you their 2 used pencils and you will hand them their sharp ones. (This is VERY important for this plan to work!)

Let them know, that if they only hand you 1 pencil the next day, they will only receive 1 sharp pencil back. If they don’t have any pencils, they are welcome to look around on the floor for one, dig in their desks, or see if a friend has an extra pencil that they can borrow.

4. Exchange Pencils

The next day, once your students are settled and working, call a few students at a time to come exchange their pencils. Take the used ones and give out sharp ones. If they give one, they take one, if they give two, they take two!

pencil management in the classroom

Take this time to look at each student and to be excited about handing them their sharp pencils. Kids feel your vibes and they internalize that little reward of feeling good when they have their pencils!

When students come up short (they will), be careful not to shame them. Just be casual about suggesting that they look around and join the line when they have a pencil. Ask them what they might do differently to have their pencils the next morning.

After talking to a student who lost pencils and looked around for them, give them a 2nd chance to start fresh with a set of 2 pencils.

5. Pencil Management Maintenance

At the end of the day, grab the used pencils box and sharpen your pencils. (This was my down time when I listened to music on my phone and chilled for a second.)


Something to Ponder

I know you may be thinking that there is no time for this, but this little morning routine takes 5 minutes, it really works,  and it teaches your students important life skills like:

  • How to make eye contact when interacting with someone
  • Saying thank you when given something
  • How to be accountable for their actions (if they didn’t put their pencils away and lost them)
  • How to think about choices and make better ones 
  • Feeling that “feel good” intrinsic reward when they are responsible.
pencil management in the classroom

Email me at [email protected] if you have questions about this process! I’d love to hear from you and brainstorm solutions for any issues you might face when implementing this plan!


For more classroom management tips:

  • Back to School Tips Vol.1
  • A 3-Step Plan for Collecting Supplies
  • 20 Questions to Ask Yourself When Preparing for the 1st Day of School

Helpful Back to School Resources

Back to School Activities for the First Week of School

Filed Under: Back to School, Classroom management, Pencil Sharpening

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It is nice to meet you!

Hi, I’m Adriana, a meticulous, passionate, creative being, with a love for teaching and learning. I write lessons that are simple and efficient, and make resources that are rigorous and engaging. Please enjoy this collection of ideas that I’ve used successfully over the years.

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Good thing I know these rainy days - literal and figurative ones - are necessary, passing moments. Disappointment makes me look inwards and helps me reflect on where I mismanaged my expectations. 

I’m just grateful that I have tools to help me get through tough times. One of those tools is to elevate the energetic levels around me by adding fire, sound, scent, and fresh air to my environment. 

If you have these kinds of days, try lighting a candle, playing music, turning on a fan or opening a window. Make yourself a cozy cup of whatever you like, and watch how supported you’ll feel.
The laptop will ALWAYS be scooted to make room for The laptop will ALWAYS be scooted to make room for the cat. I can feel Milo’s little legs erratically poking my thighs, revealing cat dreams in progress. His warmth and occasional purring are worth the discomfort of crooking my neck to work. He’s lovely, and I adore him. IYKYK ❤️
Friday night Contradance in Decatur, Ga. So. Much. Friday night Contradance in Decatur, Ga. So. Much. Fun!
Being confident: Knowing you are worth the mainten Being confident: Knowing you are worth the maintenance you require, and giving yourself the experiences that make you whole. No permission or company needed. 
#igotthis
This is where I have lived since June of 2022. I’d forgotten how long it takes before the place where you live becomes your home. The thing I’ve missed the most since moving, is the intimate relationship I had with my garden. I knew the little special places where I had worked on, the new plants coming to live, and that somehow grounded me. It hurt to leave that behind. 

This Mother’s Day, I asked my daughters (who live on their own) if they would help me make a little garden around my mailbox. I wanted to make new memories that involved all of us again. I loved spending that time together and I know that this little garden will give me joy for years to come.

I’m learning to be patient and to enjoy not having it all figured out. Just like I always approached my classrooms. It never bothered me to start the year with blank walls. I found that having room to grow together with my students was incredibly more rewarding. 

Happy new beginnings if you’ve moved schools, grades, or even had to go to a different classroom. You’ll make it your home once again. ❤️
Timing is everything. We got the gorgeous backdrop Timing is everything. We got the gorgeous backdrop plus the plane crossing the sky at that exact moment. #poçosdecaldas
Feeling the journaling vibes like crazy today. It’s a cloudy, rainy 60F, and if you know me, you know I’m struggling. I don’t do well under cloudy skies.  It’s specially hard when the weather teases me with gorgeous spring days and then takes them away. 

Good thing I know these rainy days - literal and figurative ones - are necessary, passing moments. Disappointment makes me look inwards and helps me reflect on where I mismanaged my expectations. 

I’m just grateful that I have tools to help me get through tough times. One of those tools is to elevate the energetic levels around me by adding fire, sound, scent, and fresh air to my environment. 

If you have these kinds of days, try lighting a candle, playing music, turning on a fan or opening a window. Make yourself a cozy cup of whatever you like, and watch how supported you’ll feel.
The laptop will ALWAYS be scooted to make room for The laptop will ALWAYS be scooted to make room for the cat. I can feel Milo’s little legs erratically poking my thighs, revealing cat dreams in progress. His warmth and occasional purring are worth the discomfort of crooking my neck to work. He’s lovely, and I adore him. IYKYK ❤️
Friday night Contradance in Decatur, Ga. So. Much. Friday night Contradance in Decatur, Ga. So. Much. Fun!
Being confident: Knowing you are worth the mainten Being confident: Knowing you are worth the maintenance you require, and giving yourself the experiences that make you whole. No permission or company needed. 
#igotthis
This is where I have lived since June of 2022. I’d forgotten how long it takes before the place where you live becomes your home. The thing I’ve missed the most since moving, is the intimate relationship I had with my garden. I knew the little special places where I had worked on, the new plants coming to live, and that somehow grounded me. It hurt to leave that behind. 

This Mother’s Day, I asked my daughters (who live on their own) if they would help me make a little garden around my mailbox. I wanted to make new memories that involved all of us again. I loved spending that time together and I know that this little garden will give me joy for years to come.

I’m learning to be patient and to enjoy not having it all figured out. Just like I always approached my classrooms. It never bothered me to start the year with blank walls. I found that having room to grow together with my students was incredibly more rewarding. 

Happy new beginnings if you’ve moved schools, grades, or even had to go to a different classroom. You’ll make it your home once again. ❤️
Timing is everything. We got the gorgeous backdrop Timing is everything. We got the gorgeous backdrop plus the plane crossing the sky at that exact moment. #poçosdecaldas
Feeling the journaling vibes like crazy today. It’s a cloudy, rainy 60F, and if you know me, you know I’m struggling. I don’t do well under cloudy skies.  It’s specially hard when the weather teases me with gorgeous spring days and then takes them away. 

Good thing I know these rainy days - literal and figurative ones - are necessary, passing moments. Disappointment makes me look inwards and helps me reflect on where I mismanaged my expectations. 

I’m just grateful that I have tools to help me get through tough times. One of those tools is to elevate the energetic levels around me by adding fire, sound, scent, and fresh air to my environment. 

If you have these kinds of days, try lighting a candle, playing music, turning on a fan or opening a window. Make yourself a cozy cup of whatever you like, and watch how supported you’ll feel.

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