Friday, November 30, 2012

The Pencil Sharpening Dilemma

I *LOATHE* sharpening pencils.

I hate when the wood starts to splinter!
I hate when it canoes with the lead on one side and wood on the other.
I hate when the lead breaks and falls out and you have to start again.
I hate how expensive pencil sharpeners are and then they still die every.single.year.
I hate how loud they are!
I hate those metal crank styles I grew up with because the outer part always falls off and shavings go everywhere and smeared lead is inevitable!!!!

Well, let me tell you how I really feel. :) ha. ha.

I start the year out great, sharpening them before school, using my neat little “sharpened” container and eliminating the need to sharpen during the school day. Then school stress sets in, time slips away, and it appears as if my kids are eating the pencils! I know, I know, someone like me should get mechanical pencils, but did I mention I hate those, too? LOL I hate how they rip paper, snap off and smear, etc. So, back to good ol’ pencils. I {heart} Ticonderoga. I buy tons, but my students don’t generally bring these at the start of the year.

So, back to my pencil sharpening dilemma. I have a class job to be a “pencil helper”. This person sharpens our pencils whenever they are done with work. This is only possible since I splurged on the:

Source: http://www.classroomfriendlysupplies.com/

And guess what? Lori over at teachingwithloveandlaughter.blogspot.com is having a giveaway for one! Click HERE to visit.


Want to win the pencil war? Check out The Wise Owl’s Winning the Pencil War HERE. It is FREE and may just be what we need! ;)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!



Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving!


I want to take this moment to say thank you, to all of you who have touched my life through blogging. My bloggy friends are a constant inspiration, provide unparalleled advice, and remind me of the positivity and love within my chosen profession. All of your ideas inspire me and make me a better teacher each and every day.

I know I don't have many readers as I am just starting out, but I wanted to thank you. Thank you for always being there. Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog (the one I am transitioning to this blog). I appreciate your words of encouragement and I cannot express my gratitude enough.

I am thankful for the blogging community and the opportunity to collaborate with such wonderful educators.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Turkey Image from free clip art