forget the pencil sharpener

After teaching for ten years I have come to realize that wood pencils are just a plain pain in the rear when you are on a cart or are in a classroom with a sharpener here are my reasons:

1. The kids are always forever breaking the point and have to go back to the sharpener TOO MANY TIMES!

2.  The sharpeners are just dirty not matter what kind you have...electric or manual...yuck!

3.  The students insist on working with a little "nub" even if they have another pencil.

MY solution...dixon sensmatic pencils...they are great...they take o7 led and are refillable and the students love using them.  They think you are the coolest teacher for letting them use the "magical pencils."  I store them on my cart with a jumbo pack of led from staples or the office depot.  When do you fill them you may ask? EASY...I fill them when we are watching a video or when they are doing group work  (don't let them fill them or you will have problems).  It is also helpful if you have like 20 extra in the box...that way if you haven't had the chance to check the pencils there will be enough of them in case one runs dry.