Thursday, April 19, 2012

Confession Time

I've had a lot of positive response to the "spoon pencil" strategy I've been using this year. (Thanks, Sam!)

I waited 8 weeks into the year before posting, just to make sure it was working well. This was the result at the end of the first quarter, and I couldn't wait to share the genius of it all.


But, I've been feeling a little guilty.  I think I need to confess the truth of my "genius" plan.

It doesn't work.

At the end of the second quarter, I replaced about half of the spoons and doubled the tape.

And here it is now, with four weeks left in the year:


On the positive side, my knife erasers fared much better. Five of the eight originals remain.

And the green fork pens?  Seven out of eight originals are still intact.

Still, I have enjoyed an entire year of not hearing "Mrs. Gruen, I forgot a pencil", or "Mrs. Gruen, do you have a BIG eraser?", or similar distress calls.

For next year, I have decided to step up my game with indestructible spoons:


If this doesn't work, I am attaching pencils to bricks.

I am not even kidding.

4 comments:

  1. I've taken your spoon idea. I started this about 2 weeks ago with 10 pencils. As of today, I still have 10 spoons.
    One thing I did different, is that I also offer mechanical pencils for $0.25. So, the students can either borrow a spoon pencil, or buy their own.

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  2. I really want a manufacturer to make these with pencils: http://www.amazon.com/Company-Preventa-Chrome-Plated-Technology-05059/dp/B000CCYN36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335033347&sr=8-1

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  3. I really want manufacturers to make these in a pencil version: http://www.amazon.com/Company-Preventa-Chrome-Plated-Technology-05059/dp/B000CCYN36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335033347&sr=8-1

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  4. I have used the collateral idea in the past. You want to borrow a pen or pencil or eraser? Give me some collateral - something you will want back badly enough to return my pencil. It usually has to be something good - cell phone, iPod, driver's license, school ID. (With the picture IDs, I know who to ask to get the pencil back.)

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