The Pencil Problem

by Letty Rising

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There are very few topics in the elementary classroom that I hear more about than the continuous struggle about how to manage pencils.  Never mind the colored pencils, that’s a whole other topic! Today we will just stick to regular lead pencils that the children use, a LOT, for their day-to-day writing.

I’ve seen teachers swapping stories about their pencil dilemmas online. I’ve heard them problem-solve in the classroom with students, and I’ve witnessed them sharing strategies with other teachers while on break in the lunchroom.  All of this brainstorming with students and each other has resulted in an abundance of ideas, both great and not-so-great, and some have floated to the top as popular options.

However, as we know, no great idea is foolproof, and while many problem-solving sessions lead to improvements in the situation, I have yet to identify strategies that result in this problem being fully solved.  

Let’s take a look at the many ways in which teachers (and students!) have tackled this problem.  

Personal vs Communal Pencils 

One of the things you will want to consider is whether or not the pencils in your classroom will be personal or communal. Some teachers find that a personal pencil box for each child, containing pencils, erasers, and some other basic writing tools, is the way to go (I’ve even heard of a teacher using a wide toothbrush holder that can contain a couple of pencils and an eraser!).

The theory is that children will take better care of their materials if they have ownership.  Many teachers going this route also have children write their names on their pencils so they can be returned if misplaced. Some teachers prefer it because there will be fewer parent complaints when sending notes home asking to replenish their child’s school supplies. 

Strategies for keeping track of personal pencils

• Everyone gets a pencil with a masking tape “flag” with their name on it. 
• Write their name on the pencil with a sharpie marker then put clear tape over it to prevent rubbing off. 
• The child keeps the pencil box at their workspace and moves it around as they move around.

Some teachers go a step further and give each child a mechanical pencil, replenishing lead as needed. These pencils have an added element of permanence to them, and therefore possibly more treasured and less likely to be misplaced. 

There are also many pros for communal pencils. Everyone has the same brand, leading to fewer arguments over the “cool” pencils. You can also have a stash of pencils that you easily replenish as they get low, rather than a child suddenly coming to you saying that they used their last pencil. Pencils can also be placed in portable containers that children can use more easily during collaborative work.

Community supplies also support equity, as everyone has access to the same tools needed to be successful in class. This is a huge relief for students from lower-income households who may not easily be able to afford the latest and coolest pencils. Also, labeling every single pencil is tedious, and not something a busy teacher wants to spend their precious time on! 

My friend, Britt Hawthorne (www.britthawthorne.com), recently shared some strategies for supporting a communal pencils management system, and if you are interested in hearing a detailed account you can find it HERE. 

Strategies for keeping communal pencils organized

One strategy (a more generalized version of Britt’s suggestion) is to have 2 communal jars of pencils, one for sharpened pencils, and one for unsharpened ones. The unsharpened pencils get resharpened at the end of the day, and each day begins with a fresh jar of sharpened pencils. This way, no one says they can’t find pencils, and there isn’t a need for a loud sharpener to be used during the work cycle. When pencils are too short or damaged, just grab a handful of new ones!  

Some people do a combination of personal and communal

An example of this would be to give children two pencils that they keep in a cubby, pencil, box, etc, but also have a supply of communal pencils on hand to be accessed when personal pencils are misplaced.  

I’ve heard a few different strategies that sound a bit complicated. For example, some teachers designate children as pencil monitors. Everyone is handed a pencil in the morning, then they are collected at mid-day break and then turned in at the end of the day. That’s a lot of time spent keeping track of pencils! While that might work for some, it will likely be cumbersome for others. 

I’ve also heard of teachers using techniques that involve long lectures with a tinge of guilt and shame in hopes of changing the situation.  These sorts of techniques backfire, creating feelings of division and hostility, and undermining trust. They also can affect the child’s self-esteem.

When you find yourself feeling frustrated when delivering the message about pencils, check yourself to see if you are cultivating a setting where you are encouraging curiosity and problem-solving, or if you are complaining or nagging at the children without a clear focus on finding solutions. 

When formulating a strategy for keeping pencils in the hands of your students, there are three important things you will want to consider:  

• Is it leading to greater independence in the child? 
• Is it respectful? 
• Is it in alignment with the notion of freedom and responsibility? 

In fact, I can safely say when proceeding with most new ideas to implement with students in the classroom, these are three questions you will want to ask! 

My personal thoughts on pencil management

I have an unconventional outlook on how to deal with pencils in the classroom, which has given me a great deal of peace of mind regarding the pencil dilemma. There came a time in my teaching career when  I decided to view pencils as consumable materials, not unlike toilet paper or paper towels. I always had a container or two of pencils, and when we ran low, I replaced them with more. Every once in a while we would have community meetings about caring for pencils and other supplies, but there was no expression of frustration from me about the dwindling supply of pencils. There was no shaming, no making others feel bad about it. We get low, and we replenish.

If I shift my perspective to see this continuously utilized tool as consumable material, then I’m not going to become flustered when the supply runs low. Along with toilet paper and paper towels, we have lots of consumable materials that get used (and used up!) every day, such as electricity, water, and paper, and while teachers are apt to have community meetings about conserving these resources, it’s less likely to lead to nagging, shaming, or blanket punishments.  

By changing my mindset about not regarding a pencil as something that is scarce or that needed to be revered as a sacred item, I was able to let go of any exasperation I could have potentially had surrounding lost, broken, or quickly used pencils. After all, I didn’t get frustrated with the children when we ran out of toilet paper or paper towels, why shouldn’t I hold the same attitude towards pencils?

I recognize that my thinking on this is not conventional, and I want to be clear that I’m not suggesting that we never talk to students about caring for classroom materials, which include pencils. In my experience, sometimes it’s a more effective approach for me to shift my mindset about a belief that I hold than to continuously problem-solve a solution for it, or to create complicated systems that will generate extra and unnecessary steps and processes for teachers and students alike.  

So next time you find something in the classroom bothering you, it might be that you need to re-evaluate a system, or it might be that you want to re-evaluate your attitude towards whatever is causing you feelings of distress. Personally, I find that the sweet spot is to have a simple yet mostly effective system, while also developing a more relaxed attitude towards whatever may arise.