Putting an End to Pencil Problems in the Classroom

Teaching primary students, pencils have been a HUGE headache for me in the past. Every single day someone would find their pencil missing, or needed it sharpened when I was in the middle of teaching a small group, and when I placed new pencils in the sharpened bin half the class seemed to all of a sudden be missing a pencil! To solve these pencil problems I started a new system based on some ideas I'd read about on Facebook and Pinterest, and now I never have to think about pencil problems!

Pencil problems in the classroom? Solve them for good with this simple pencil solution that will save you money and time! You'll never have pencil problems again!

At the beginning of the year, I provided every student in my class with a pencil case from the dollar store. I labeled them with each student's name so there could be no mix-ups!

Pencil problems in the classroom? Solve them for good with this simple pencil solution that will save you money and time! You'll never have pencil problems again!

Inside every case I included seven sharp pencils and one eraser. The second year I did this I changed it up to 5 pencils and it has worked just fine! 

Pencil problems in the classroom? Solve them for good with this simple pencil solution that will save you money and time! You'll never have pencil problems again!

At the end of every week, my lunch helpers collect the pencil cases and sharpen all of the pencils. Any student who still has all seven (or five) pencils AND their eraser gets a small treat back in their case - an eraser, sticker, small wrapped candy. Any pencils missing, or nearing the end of their usable life, are replaced at this time and pencils are NEVER needing to be sharpened throughout the week! (Insert happy teacher face here!) I shared this idea at the beginning of this school year, but I'm so thrilled with how well it is going I needed to revisit! Pencil problems - solved!

You might also be interested in this post about getting organized in your classroom:

Pencil problems in the classroom? Solve them for good with this simple pencil solution that will save you money and time! You'll never have pencil problems again!
Take a look at some of the other classroom organization ideas and resources on this HUGE Pinterest board:

Pin this post:

Pencil problems in the classroom? Solve them for good with this simple pencil solution that will save you money and time! You'll never have pencil problems again!

Until next time,

Pencil problems in the classroom? Solve them for good with this simple pencil solution that will save you money and time! You'll never have pencil problems again!

79 comments

  1. I use almost the exact same system! We use pencil boxes instead of pouches. I'm always amazed at how excited the students are to get a sticker and a Friend of Pencils card. Thanks for starting a new linky!
    Jan
    Laughter and Consistency

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it awesome?! It has truly saved my sanity (and my pencil budget!!) this year! Thanks for linking up. :)

      ~Erin

      Delete
  2. I love this idea. You would never believe how many pencils end up on the floor at the end of the day! I can't do this this year but will keep it in mind for the fall. I have a diabetic child so I never ever use candy or any type of food for a reward. It has certainly been challenging this year!! Thanks! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I can believe it!! I can tell you that my students have been just as excited and motivated by a sticker, special pencil or fun eraser as they have been for a candy. Any little surprise gift works wonders!

      ~Erin

      Delete
  3. Erin, I love this fantastic idea!
    Diane
    One Giggle At A Time

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a silly question...where did you get your pouches? I love this idea

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jayme,

      Thanks for stopping by! Not a silly question at all! I got them from our dollar store, Dollarama. :) It is a routine that I will establish year after year. It has made my life SO much easier!

      Erin

      Delete
  5. I can't wait to try it next year. Going to add a few items. Dry erase marker and eraser.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Did you have to buy any additional pencils as you restocked the pouches or did the students provide enough at the beginning of the year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Paula!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      I actually purchased all of the pencil cases using some of my classroom funds. I believe they were $1.25 each at our dollar store. You certainly could request that families send one in, but I would definitely have a few extras on hand, just in case!

      Erin

      Delete
  7. I do something similar, using pencil boxes and tucking one inside each chair pocket. I also include crayons, scissors, and one glue stick. For the pencils, though, I include a couple 'regular' pencils with erasers, as well as a 'golf' pencil, and one thicker primary pencil. I don't have assigned seats, so the 'tool kits' (as we call them) belong to everybody, and are everybody's responsibility. This works better some years than others. Love the idea of personalizing it, though, AND regularly checking and giving rewards. Might try that next year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do have community bins for the other supplies, like glue sticks and colored pencils, but this has been the best system I've ever used for regular pencil management!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  8. Erin,
    What happens when all 5 are broken or need sharpening before then end of the week?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sherri,

      The whole point of this system, for me, is that I am not playing the "Rescue Ranger" and my students need to show responsibility for their supplies. Almost never does anyone have a week where all 5 pencils are broken or so dull they can't work with them, and if that happens my students are quick to help each other out by lending to a friend or making a trade.

      Hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  9. What are your ideas for doing something like this ,but for middle school? I have 130 7th graders. Any ideas to modify your (awesome) idea?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooh, great question, Erin! What if you teamed up with the other teachers who see these kids and organize so that each of you is only responsible for managing one of the groups? That's a win-win for everyone! :)

      Let me know if you come up with something and I'll add it to the post for others!

      Thanks for stopping by!
      Erin

      Delete
    2. I teach middle school ELA and what I do is I assigned each student a number, which I use all through out the class, and so at the end of the period I check the bags, and then teach the students at the beginning of the class to make sure everything is there. That way I'm not doing the work. They soon learn who else has their bags, so it's funny to watch them react to a friend or someone else losing 'their supplies'.

      Delete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Erin!

      Some ideas have been added by other readers! Check out the comments section! :)

      Erin

      Delete
  11. What do you do about that student who has no pencils in his or her pencil pouch. I'm thinking I would just give them one. What if the 5 pencils in the pouch at the end of the week are pencils I had given him or her rather than the 5 they started the week with? I hope this makes sense.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there!

      I can tell you this almost never happens! I had one student who would occasionally hand the pencil case in at the end of the week with only one or two pencils. While my position is that any missing will be replaced at that time, we almost always found them hiding in his desk. Throughout the week, though, I don't provide pencils. The whole point of this system, for me, is that I am not playing the "Rescue Ranger" and my students need to show responsibility for their supplies. If someone is missing theirs, they borrow from a friend until their supply is replenished.

      Thanks for stopping by!
      Erin

      Delete
    2. I love this idea. I have one boy who likes to be Edward PENCILhand and he ends up breaking them. I tell them to use a crayon. It's worked. I boy only took 1 week. Still working one.

      Delete
    3. I have one that "lost" all his pencils one week and he was told to use a crayon. Turns out all his pencils were hiding at the bottom of his desk and he was to lazy to look. So now if they are out they know to use a crayon. But it's only happened 2 times I think.

      I don't have a helper. I make the kids turn them in to me and I just bring them home and put a ticket in it and on Monday they get to pick their own piece of candy. WORKS GREAT. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Takes me maybe 10 minutes to get through 20 bags.

      Delete
    4. Glad you're enjoying this, Tonya! Thanks for stopping by and leaving some thoughts! :)

      Erin

      Delete
  12. Did anyone come up with a middle school adapatation?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No one has shared anything with me. I would think that it could work the same way, unless you see different classes throughout the day. In that case, I was thinking it would work if you teamed up with the other teachers who see these kids and organize so that each of you is only responsible for managing one of the groups? That's a win-win for everyone! :)

      Let me know if you come up with something and I'll add it to the post for others!

      Thanks for stopping by!
      Erin

      Delete
  13. Do you have a student check each bag at the end of the week?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep! That's explained in the post. I have lunch helpers who do all the sharpening at the end of the week. :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
    2. Sorry, I meant do the students put the surprise in the bags or do you?

      Delete
  14. As far as the whole high school or middle school thing goes....could you simply number the pencil pouches instead of name them? Then you would still need only 30 pencil pouches and you're teaching your kids that their classroom is a communal space and therefore supplies need to be treated well. That would also mean that groups of kids would be assigned one pouch to take care of which may hold them more accountable with their peers. Just a thought?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a great idea, Abby! Thanks for sharing!

      Glad you stopped by!

      Erin

      Delete
    2. I was about to comment about how brilliant this was even for high school students. I have tried giving my students pens and pencils at the beginning of the quarter only for them to lose them that same period. (Read - throw them across the room and try to make baskets - Steph Curry look out) This is absolutely brilliant. I'm off to the dollar store!

      Delete
    3. Glad you're excited to try this, 3BearsMama!! Hope it works as well for you as it has for me!

      Thanks for stopping by,
      Erin

      Delete
  15. How do you keep them from taking pencils from someone else's case?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A classroom culture of kindness, respect and caring for each other! It has never happened!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  16. Love this idea! Though I don't think it would work well, as it is, in my middle school. All my students have different teachers for each subject and different schedules, so teaming up with even a few other teachers wouldn't work. I am still going to think about some type of adaptation. Pencils are in high demand in my intervention classes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are a few suggestions in the comments, Shirley!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  17. Door middle school, how about using numbers on a clear pencil pouch. Number your class list and the student gets the pack corresponding to their number. At the end of class you dismiss clad in number order and do a quick check that everything is there and issue a sticker. If all class pouches are correct for a set time, they ca n earn a classic prize for team work

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that's a great idea, Karen! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  18. I am a teacher in Spain. Our schools are ruled in a slightly different way. Each student has a pencil case and his/ her own pencil, eraser and sharpener which has a small compartment for the chips. We help them labelling their pencils (so when they fall to the floor or get confused they can find it back) and they sharpen them themselves anytime they need it without even standing up. I suppose you could do the same with the pencils in boxes too, as long as they are labelled

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The labeling just takes so much time... this eliminates that for me!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  19. Nice idea for an elementary classroom. Wouldn't work in a high school class...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep! This is an elementary blog!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  20. Do you have them keep the pencil bags in their desk or a centralized location so they don't get lost? I have a feeling my kids would take the bag home and lose it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Autumn!

      My students just keep them inside their desks. They know that they're NOT to go home and it has never yet been a problem!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  21. Thank you! This is a great idea and I think it will help solve my pencil problem in 2nd grade.

    ReplyDelete
  22. When my dad retired he became a substitute teacher. This was always a problem for him. His solution was to offer kids a pencil to borrow for the hour but they usually ran off with them. So he began a system if you borrow a pencil you leave your shoe with him and it is returned when the pencil was returned. It solved the pencil consumption problem for him. Not sure about sharpening? He would have liked your idea!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I've heard the shoe suggestion quite a bit, but I'm not sure how that would go in a lot of classrooms these days... It is a safety issue and I can think of several families that would have a problem with their children being centered out that way!

      Thanks for stopping by, Colleen!

      Erin

      Delete
    2. I am a middle school teacher and tried the shoe thing. I had a girl who had a crush on a boy in the class, steal his shoe instead of taking her shoe back. BIG mess. No longer do that.

      Delete
  23. I'm not a teacher but a mom. My daughter and my niece both do homework at my house after school and I really like this idea. Last year was our first year of school and a BIG learning experience for all of us. Everyday was a struggle to find pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, etc... I am thinking of trying this and teaching them to be more reponsible with the tools they need for homework. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I am not a teacher but a frustrated mom. My daughter and niece do their homework at my house after school and I really like this idea. Last year was our first year of school and a BIG learning experience for all of us. Everyday we would have to search for the pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, etc... I am really thinking of trying this with them this year in hopes of saving time and my sanity. Thanks for sharing this idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love that this is helpful for you at home, April! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment! So glad you stopped by!

      Erin

      Delete
  25. What time of day would you have your kids sharpen? I am going into first grade and trying to figure out what instruction period I would have to cut into for any job. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there!

      I actually have older students come to my classroom during the lunch break to help out with home communication and other small jobs daily, and I have them do the sharpening during the recess break, so no instructional time is impacted at all!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  26. Do you let the students use their own pencil sharpeners to sharpen pencils throughout the week?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kimberley,

      If my students have personal sharpeners and use them correctly (no piles of shavings inside their desk or pencil case) then I have no problem with them being used throughout the week. That said, I don't encourage my students to bring them since they are usually more of a headache than a help!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  27. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for sharing :) I am excited to try it with my first graders this year :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad this is useful to you, Angela! Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  28. Love this idea wonder if you could use Pringles cans that you could cover in decorative paper

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you could use any sort of container you wished! Glad you stopped by!

      Erin

      Delete
  29. I am a teacher and a mom. My daughter was in Kindergarten last year, and I provided her with a pencil pouch with 5 pencils that were neon color and labeled with her name. Every other day it was her job to sharpen the pencils at home. She used the same 5 pencils for about 2 months! The reason I did this is because of all the germs that get spread by students sharing pencils from the "sharp" and "dull" bins that the pencils were located. She only got sick once during the entire school year!

    ReplyDelete
  30. This is such a neat idea! I'm definitely giving it a try this year, but with our small pencil boxes. Thanks for sharing!

    www.thebutterflyteacher.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I am a middle school teacher. I am trying something new. I have a "pencil up" process. When a student needs a pencil, typically a student gives away one that is really used. So I allow them to "pencil up". The student who is responsible and gives the used one away, get the brand new pencil from me.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I had a problem with pencils in first grade and I'm moving to second grade this year. I super love this idea! I give all my students a number, so I will put their number on their own bag. Also, I think I may velcro the bags to the side of their desks. That way they won't be dropping or losing them, but I can still remove them to check and refill at the end of the week. I can see how this could work because I always try to use positive reinforcement and it works well. Thanks for sharing your awesome idea! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a great idea, Annette! Thanks for taking the time to share! :)

      Glad you stopped by!

      Erin

      Delete
    2. We have had a couple times where the child has "LOST" their bag. I told them to look in their desk. I've looked in their desk couldn't find it. Finally started taking everything out and there it was. Blending into the bottom. Our bags are black with a white number but you couldn't see the number so it blended into the black bottom.

      Delete
  33. Hi Erin,

    I love this idea and would like to use it this year! My only concern is time. How long does it take your helpers to go through all the pencil pouches, sort and sharpen pencils, and add in treats?

    Thanks!

    Toria

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Toria!

      I have my helpers do this on Fridays during the lunch recess break. I would estimate that it takes them between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on how focused they are. My helpers were younger this year, so it took them a little longer than the 8th grade helpers. It really just depends on your help!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Erin

      Delete
  34. I switched to pens (yep, even for math) a few years ago and never looked back! It's been my favorite management/procedures change in 13 years of teaching elementary school. The learning curve is quick, and kiddos who use their pens incorrectly are asked to just use a pencil for the rest of the day. This curbs the problems almost immediately. I do a little instruction first on crossing out answers instead of scribbling, which is great because then I can see their mistakes. It's harder to convince the parents of the transition than the kiddos, they love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!

      Erin

      Delete
  35. I've been teaching for more than 20 years and this idea was a game changer for me! I love that it helps increase respect for property, and helps children become more responsible. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you've enjoyed this tip, Laura! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave me a comment! :)

      Erin

      Delete
  36. I did this with middle school - 1 pouch per group in each of my 4 classes. It worked for a while but some kids were sneaking pencils from other classes- (the pouches hung from hooks behind their group of desks- I refused to be the pencil police so i scrapped the idea). . I’m thinking of trying it again but having a student pass out the pouches to each group and me collecting them with a quick check at the end of class. They are clear so it is easy to see that there are the correct number of pencils. I made each student supply 1 pencil and I added 2.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I use clear pencil pouches - donated from our dentist!! (The tootbrush, toothpaste, floss, coupon gift pouch we get after an appointment.) It's clear and makes it super easy to see what is there or not there.

    ReplyDelete

Connect with me!! I love reading your comments and will respond as soon as I can!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.