Is your classroom pencil sharpener in need of an upgrade? If you’re shopping around to compare your options, you’re in luck! The Teacher Starter teacher team and our wonderful teacher community is ready to share all the details on the best pencil sharpeners for the classroom — the real holy grail of sharpeners for teachers.
From electric pencil sharpeners to the manual kind, we’ve rounded up 10 teacher favorites, plus a few handy classroom tips to help pick the one that’s right for your students and limit disruptions when it’s in use.
Read on for tips and reviews from our teacher community!
How to Pick the Best Pencil Sharpener
We know just how overwhelming shopping for the right pencil sharpener can be, especially with so many different types to choose from!
So, before we get started, here’s a handy guide of key features you might want to remember when looking for a classroom pencil sharpener.
Best Electric Pencil Sharpeners
We’re starting off with electric pencil sharpeners because they can play a role in your classroom management — after all, the electric power means they sharpen more quickly, allowing students to do the job without disrupting the flow of the class. They also tend to be easier for younger students to use.
One thing to keep in mind? Electric sharpeners are often noisier than their manual counterparts, which can cause a disruption! We’ve considered the noise factor in what we consider “best” on this list.
X-ACTO School Pro Electric Sharpener
A real fan-favorite on our team, the X-ACTO School Pro Electric Sharpener means business when it comes to sharpening pencils. Teachers were explicitly involved in designing this durable sharpener to ensure safety and suitability for little hands. It also has a large capacity for pencil shavings, which means fewer trips to the trash throughout the day. Best of all, it features quiet operation to minimize classroom disruptions – yes, please!
Teach Starter teacher community member Kevin Collins says the “X-Acto® School Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener is the best! It has multiple sizes that it can sharpen, rarely jams, and is super fast.”
Our very own Teach Starter Resource Production Manager Natalie Brown also raves about this sharpener, saying, “I had the X-ACTO Pencil School Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener, and it lasted me YEARS! I loved it!”
Tenwin Chargeable Electric Pencil Sharpener
Nicole Collins, another member of our teacher community, recommends the Tenwin Chargeable Electric Pencil Sharpener, saying, “This one from Amazon is the best! Portable with batteries but is rechargeable. Easy to empty and sharpens well and quickly.”
Instead of six pencil holes, this electric sharpener has one with a handy elastic opening so you can still sharpen various different-sized pencils. If you’re looking for a sturdy and affordable sharpener to take on the go, this one is a fantastic choice.
Amazon Basics Portable Electric Pencil Sharpener
Another affordable and teacher-recommended sharpener is the Amazon Basics Portable Electric Pencil Sharpener. It includes three sharpening levels, including blunt, medium and sharp and will automatically stop sharpening when it reaches your preferred setting.
This small, portable sharpener won’t take up too much room on your desk and can be easily emptied by removing the lid!
Westcott iPoint HALO Battery Operated Pencil Sharpener
The Westcott iPoint HALO Battery Operated Pencil Sharpener is another teacher favorite to look into for your classroom. This affordable sharpener has an auto-sensor shut-off to ensure pencils are not over-sharpened.
Plus, it comes with durable Titanium Bonded blades and an easy-view shavings reservoir to monitor when it’s time to be emptied.
Fourth-grade teacher Miss Smith told us she “swears by” hers, noting, “It’s easy to carry around in your hand to sharpen broken pencils; it’s quick, looks cute and comes in different colors.”
Best Manual Pencil Sharpeners for the Classroom
If you’re searching for something more affordable that doesn’t require electricity, then a manual pencil sharpener is also a great option for the classroom. Manual pencil sharpeners also tend to be quieter than their electric counterparts, which is important to keep in mind for easily distracted learners!
A drawback is that manual pencil sharpeners typically require more effort, and the extra time it takes to sharpen pencils might lead to disruptions as students wait to sharpen their pencils.
Staedtler 2 Hole Barrel Sharpener
We asked. You voted. And it turns out the majority of teachers in the Teach Starter community swear by the Staedtler 2 Hole Barrel Sharpener for the classroom. This affordable desk sharpener has a simple yet effective design with two sharpening holes for regular and jumbo-sized pencils.
The lid also has a safety lock to help prevent accidental openings and alleviate the chance of any shaving spills.
Carl Angel-5 Pencil Sharpener
If you don’t mind putting some elbow grease into it, a manual pencil sharpener like the Carl Angel-5 Pencil Sharpener might be for you. Known for its durability and sharpening performance you can count on, teacher Tel A. Bel from our community told us that her Angle-5 lasted 40 years. Wow!
The retro look and feel of the sharpener is also a nice old-school touch for your classroom decor.
BienFun Electric Sharpener
Teach Starter community member Kerrie Frost-Beaumont swears by the BienFun Electric Sharpener as a cost-effective pick for the classroom that’s easy for little hands to grasp and use. Operated by batteries, this compact sharpener allows students to sharpen pencils quickly and efficiently.
Desk Pencil Sharpeners for Students
In addition to your communal classroom sharpener, it may be a good idea for each student to have their own pencil sharpeners to avoid the need to get up during lessons to re-sharpen pencils.
Personal pencil sharpeners vastly range in quality and functionality, so we’ve included a few Teach Starter teaching community recommendations to help you decide.
Staedtler Desktop 1 Hole Sharpener
The Staedtler Desktop 1 Hole Sharpener is a great go-to. This nifty sharpener has critical classroom-friendly features, including an auto sharpening stop and point adjuster.
This gadget also comes with a desk clamp, making it easier for students to sharpen at their desks without the device slipping. Win-Win!
Derwent Manual Helical Desktop Sharpener
Like the Staedtler mentioned above, the Derwent Manual Helical Desktop Sharpener can be fastened to each desk for ease of use and enforcement to end the case of missing classroom sharpeners!
This desk sharpener also features an efficient slide-out reservoir to simplify emptying shavings and help control messes.
Maped 2 Hole Shaker Pencil Sharpener
Another teacher favorite (and an old classic) is the Maped 2 Hole Shaker Pencil Sharpener. “They sharpen better than any other sharpener. The only ones I’ve used for the last 12 years!” Teach Starter community member Karen O’Connor said about this affordable sharpener,
The compact design features a shaker mechanism that automatically advances the pencil for sharpening, and it works with both graphite and colored pencils.
Pencil Tips From Our Teacher Team
Now that you’ve figured out which pencil sharpener to buy for the classroom, do you have plans for managing all that sharpening? Here are just a few tips from our teacher team to make your year run smoothly!
Get Your Own Teacher-Only Sharpener
Students can be hard on sharpeners, so it is always helpful to set aside one sharpener as yours and yours alone, so you’re always guaranteed to have one that is in working order.
Set Sharpening Rules
When students can hop up at any time to sharpen their pencils, the privilege is ripe for abuse. Establish rules around when pencils can and cannot be sharpened to prevent this from happening. For example, you may want to establish that no one can stand up to sharpen their pencil while you or another student is speaking, or perhaps you want to limit sharpening to the start and end of the school day.
Create a Pencil Sharpener Job
One easy way to minimize the amount of time students spend out of their chairs sharpening pencils is to make sharpening a job that just one or two students do each week. When a pencil breaks, students can place it in an assigned spot in the classroom where the official pencil sharpener can set things right.
Set Up a Pencil Numbering System
The case of the missing pencils will always be a classroom mystery! To help combat this, assign every student in your class a unique number and then mark all their pencils with it. This will help with the endless digging around in the pencil bag and save time on organizing pencils to be sharpened.
Set Up a Smart Pencil Sharpening Station
When it comes to setting up a sharpening station in the classroom, location is key. Choose a low-traffic area, such as the back of the classroom, and set up multiple sharpeners to avoid long lines. Ensure the station is fully stocked with supplies, a trash can for any shavings and posters to remind students of correct pencil sharpening procedures and safety.
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