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Fairies And Lesson Plans

Control Pencil Chaos Once and For All!

June 12, 2019 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

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

Feel free to email me at fairiesandlessonplans@gmail.com 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

For Back to School Resources click on these thumbnails:

See it here. 

 

See it here.
Now Also Digital! See it here.
See all of them here. 
See all themes here!

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

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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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https://fairiesandlessonplans.com/2022/07/math-centers-for-elementary-students/

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But a week goes by, your centers are now outdated, and you have to start the process all over again. 

This is where using materials that review many math standards at a time saves you time and keeps your centers relevant!

Grab free samples of my Math Crossword Puzzles for your Math Centers for grades 1, 2, and 3. I hope they engage your students and make planning a breeze!

https://fairiesandlessonplans.com/2022/07/math-centers-for-elementary-students/

#Iteachfirst #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teacherfriends #iteachtoo #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #iteachsecond #secondgrade #tpt #teacherspayreachers #thirdgrade
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Meet my new love, Milo. Never thought I’d be int Meet my new love, Milo. Never thought I’d be into a cat as much as I’m into this little guy. He is the gentlest soul, and just what I needed to sweeten my days.
At Hobby Lobby today. 😝 At Hobby Lobby today. 😝
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But a week goes by, your centers are now outdated, and you have to start the process all over again. 

This is where using materials that review many math standards at a time saves you time and keeps your centers relevant!

Grab free samples of my Math Crossword Puzzles for your Math Centers for grades 1, 2, and 3. I hope they engage your students and make planning a breeze!

https://fairiesandlessonplans.com/2022/07/math-centers-for-elementary-students/

#Iteachfirst #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teacherfriends #iteachtoo #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #iteachsecond #secondgrade #tpt #teacherspayreachers #thirdgrade
Give this Word Work resource a try! You’ll love Give this Word Work resource a try! You’ll love how it’s all planed out for you, and how quick it is to implement! You’ll teach two word families each week, and there’s a short story where the kids practice reading and finding the words you taught them. Then there are activities that they do each day of the week to reinforce the spelling patterns. If you need an assessment, that’s all set for you as well. If you need a link to either resource, let me know I’m the comments, or shoot me an email at adriana@fairiesandlessonplans.com  #iteachfirst #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teacherfriends #iteachtoo
Getting ready to shoot new promotional materials! Getting ready to shoot new promotional materials! It takes so much trial and error, man. But it’s all worth it to show you some great resources in action. Wish me luck!🍀 #iteachfirst #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teacherfriends #iteachtoo #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #iteachsecond #secondgrade #tpt #teacherspayreachers
Meet my new love, Milo. Never thought I’d be int Meet my new love, Milo. Never thought I’d be into a cat as much as I’m into this little guy. He is the gentlest soul, and just what I needed to sweeten my days.
At Hobby Lobby today. 😝 At Hobby Lobby today. 😝

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