Step 1: Very simple. In your school supply list request that parents buy Ticonderoga pencils. They do not break nearly as easily. They are not perfect, but they really are so much better. (I make a note about how the better quality pencils save so much of our class time.) Most of the parents comply.
Step 2: Buy the staples high quality electric pencil sharpener. It was expensive. I got it on sale for $42 and it was the best investment ever. Do not ever let the children touch it, not ever. It is "my precious".
At the end of the day my assigned "pencil police" goes around and collects the dull pencils. I wait until after school because I want the student awareness of my awesome pencil sharpener to be off the radar of the kids. It takes 1 min. for me to sharpen all the pencils. During the day the kids can simply trade in dull pencils for sharp ones. My sanity is in tact.
As a rule, kids have two sharp pencils at their desk, and I have a third pencil available for them in the sharpened pencil box. It's working. Yay!
Subject 2: The crayons
On the first day of school grab your Sharpie. I have numbers assigned to each kid so I can sort their papers more easily. The numbers are taped to their desks for easy reference. In the middle of each crayon write the students number. When you find the crayons on the floor, you can easily identify whose crayon it is. I wan't sure at first how useful this admittedly long step would take. So far, it has paid off. I found your crayon Jilli. :)
Last note: I requested the small slider boxes this year instead of the big flip top lid boxes. They keep only crayons and an eraser with them. Glue sticks and scissors are collected in a community container. The slider boxes are dumped slightly less often. I would say crayons get dumped on the floor about 50% less than they used to, so its worth it.
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