I was using "Winning the Pencil Wars" from TpT, but this year I simplified. I give my kids 4 pencils with their student number on them (used a Sharpie). I number my students. When they need a pencil sharpened, they drop it in my "To Be Sharpened" can (little bucket from Target in the dollar section).
I sharpen them whenever I have time. I have an electric pencil sharpener that the kids aren't allowed to use. I've not had a big load of pencils to be sharpened yet. It works really well. I happen to have a responsible class so I don't have any rewards tied to them keeping track of their pencils. When someone finds a pencil, they give it to the owner. Works for us! Good luck.
I give everyone 5 sharpened pencils on Monday.
They turn in on Friday.
If students still ya e all 5 they get small treat.
I am retired now but most of my teaching was 2nd or 3rd grades.
Each day I have students make sure they had 2 pencils at beginning of each subject. I kept a bucket of sharpened ones on my desk. A helper sharpened them each morning. If they broke one during class they could come get a new one from my desk. They were not prone to making excessive trips to get pencils since they had to walk up in front of me. In addition, once a student had their own pencil sharpener that became the thing to have.
Are you talking about 5 lead pencils??
And you give a TREAT for something that they should be doing anyway with one or two pencils over a week, instead of over a quarter??
And why can’t they sharpen their OWN pencils?!
Please don't tell me it is a food reward given either because that would be nasty.
My young class keep the same pencil for often at least two quarters. You are allowed to expect this. They can use communal pencils too or small golf pencils if they lose them temporarily..... but no way to giving rewards for anything beyond saying, "Good job, Johnny!"
Last edited by Smurfyteach; 12-03-2018 at 03:16 PM..