Looking Sharp

In my 15 years in the classroom sharpening pencils has always been an issue. Meaning that I have tried a lot of tactics and never found a plan I was 100% satisfied with.

Is it weird that this picture brings me happiness? 

Those beauties were sharpened by this:

Before I talk about that Pretty in Pink friend of mine... I want to talk about a time known as B.P.S. {Before the Pink Sharpener}

At one point our school got a heavy duty {and I am sure not cheap} sharpener for the work room. So I would go on down with 8 million pencils to sharpen for 30 minutes or so....just how I want to spend my planning time at the end of a long day, right? {We'll call that  Plan A}

Then the worst part would be within 5 seconds and one written word of using that freshly sharpened pencil a little one would say, "My pencil broke." 

And I would want to scream! Why do they break so easily? 

I wondered is it the pencil? The sharpener? Or me? Do I not know how to correctly sharpen a pencil?

Plan B:
Little ones doing their own sharpening with an in-class electric sharpener {my least favorite plan... loud and from across the room I would see a long, new pencil go in and come out a short, tiny stub....RIP new pencil!}

Plan C:

Having the hand held mini sharpeners in their desks {even though they have the kind that collect those shavings... they seem to end up all over the place! Yuck! and not a plan EVER in a kinder classroom}

There were other plans too, but they are too bad to share!

My verdict is I believe that the pencils are getting cheaper... even my favorite: The Ticonderoga Pencil which I always found to be the best of the best. But also the blame is on the sharpener.

But I have a solution! I do...we'll call it "The Only Plan"

It is the Quietest Classroom Sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies.

I had read other posts about this throughout this blogging world and thought...what is this all about!?!

And now I know.

The best part about this sharpener is that the pencils don't break and they stay sharp! 

Let me say it SHOUT IT again....they don't break and the pencil stays sharp for a long time!! 

Can I also point out that I got to get the sharpener in pink! My favorite! {if pink isn't your favorite...no worries... they come in green, blue, red and black too!} But seriously... how fun is pink!

Second,  I was able to easily add washi tape. Is that important? I guess not... but if you know me, you know that I {heart} washi tape and want to put it on everything!!

Next, this thing is reasonably priced.

Last... you only need to crank that handle about 3 times for the sharpest pencil ever. 3 cranks.... means I can do a class set of pencils in NO TIME!

Even better, I can have others {my aide or volunteers or early finishers} sharpen pencils in the class. With the electric sharpener I could never do this because either
A. the sharpener wasn't in my room
or
B. When it was in my room the thing was just TOO loud!

In my kindergarten land I don't foresee me having the kiddos sharpen.

Above I did list "early finishers" as a possible "sharpening friend"and maybe I should re-word that...as a most likely not going to happen unless I start teaching a higher grade. {Although I do think kinders can use this sharpener... I guess I am a control freak!}

My pencil system is as follows:

If you want to learn more about how I handle supplies in my classroom you can check out this post  which will tell you all about my supply plan... and of course...washi is involved!

And speaking of washi... this is the latest tape...same sharpener / new washi! {Can't help it... I'm obsessed!}

So if this picture makes you happy:

Then you may need to get one of these HERE....it won't break the bank, but it will make you smile!