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11-08-2012, 03:32 PM
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Comrade
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 376
Rhode Island
1st Grade Teacher
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Useless Pencils...
In an effort to save money, TPTB decided not to buy the old faithful TICONDEROGA #2's and opted for pencils made in China. The problem is, the cheaper pencils will not sharpen!! Very often, the pencil looks like it has a nice point, but the graphite crumbles when pressure is put on it.
Sometimes you can't get a point at all - the pencil sharpens unevenly and the contact point ends up being wood.
Out of pure frustration, I've made three separate trips to STAPLES to buy TICONDEROGAS at $15.00/72 pcs., and it's only the end of the 1st quarter!
I was very disappointed to learn that even they are made outside the USA (Mexico), but, fortunately, their standards are still high. I haven't had a problem with one yet.
But $45.00 a quarter comes out to $180.00 for the year! And that's for something most of us just take for granted - a decent writing instrument.
The folks at STAPLES are appalled that a teacher has to buy pencils out of his/her own pocket, but dealing with the cheap ones simply isn't worth the stress and aggravation.
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11-08-2012, 03:39 PM
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Devotee
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,095
Costa Rica
Science
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At my last school I had to buy tons of pencils for my kids. If I didn't have them, they just wouldn't write.
I don't understand why the pencils made in or outside of the USA matters...
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11-08-2012, 04:21 PM
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Novice
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 71
Maryland
4th Grade Teacher
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I feel your pain,Teacherman! Not only do these cheap pencils not sharpen well, they clog electric sharpeners. Several years ago I made it my mission to buy only Dixons and Ticonderogas. You get what you pay for.
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11-08-2012, 04:50 PM
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Multitudinous
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 17,717
New Jersey
Grade 3
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Send a note home to parents asking for pencil donations.
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11-08-2012, 08:32 PM
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Multitudinous
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 10,845
USA
Kindergarten Teacher
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On our supply list, we specific the pencil brand we want students to buy. Parents really do send in the type of pencils that we ask for.
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11-09-2012, 09:44 AM
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Companion
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 132
USA
Primary Elementary Teacher
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I agree with czacza. It is an easy way for parents to help and feel helpful.
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11-09-2012, 12:17 PM
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Connoisseur
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,852
California
8th Grade Science Teacher
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It's probably different for elementary, but I buy the Ticonderoga Golf Pencils for students who forget to bring a pencil.
They're cheap, they come pre-sharpened, they are durable, and best of all they are a huge pain to use, so kids have an incentive to want to bring their own pencils.
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11-09-2012, 01:07 PM
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Fanatic
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,544
Oklahoma
Kindergarten Teacher
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I bought several boxes of Ticonderoga pencils this year and they shatter...the wood crumbles when they are sharp. I am so frustrated because I spent a fortune on them.
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11-09-2012, 03:18 PM
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Enthusiast
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,109
Land of Sunshine
MS Language Arts
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I'm actually kind of impressed your school bought any pencils. My district provides zero supplies.
But I did make the mistake of buying Dixon pencils once. Never again. I couldn't even give them away to the kids. Ticonderoga all the way!
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11-09-2012, 03:42 PM
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Habitué
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 897
The Deep South
Special Education Teacher
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peregrin5
It's probably different for elementary, but I buy the Ticonderoga Golf Pencils for students who forget to bring a pencil.
They're cheap, they come pre-sharpened, they are durable, and best of all they are a huge pain to use, so kids have an incentive to want to bring their own pencils.
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I do the same.
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