One of the things I learned before I deep dove into the teaching journey I’ve been on is that the pen might actually be more important than the pencil.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating for being completely rid of pencils.  Just as I’m for a balance of tech and pencil, I’m also not in the extreme camp of pencils only in the math classroom.

My journey from using pencils exclusively for math to switching over to the pen for my notes actually began during a hobby of mine.  I was watching videos on the craft of drawing and ran across a teacher who encouraged students to only use pens in their sketchbooks.  The argument went something along the lines of forcing the brain to adapt to mistakes and become more intentional, or more serious, about the work being done.

I tried it a few times and I was pleasantly surprised at how making the drawings in pen did force me to be more careful.  

Years later as I continue to work on becoming a fully certified math teacher, I ended up switching from pencil to pen in my notebooks.  I noticed two things immediately: notes were easier to read as I reviewed content (they were more vibrant and less dull on the page) and I was more intentional about solving the problems and not just rushing through them.  Additionally, as an added bonus, it was far faster to write with the pen than trying to get my notes out in pencil with the pen’s ability to glide across the page.

Now back to the classroom for a moment, I’m noticing that, with the exception of marking lessons in my planner in pencil, I have continued to nearly exclusively use pen, and while I still focus on the pencil with my students, I’m not quite as militaristic about making students use a pencil instead of a pen as my teachers were back in the day.

So, why bring this up at all?  I think it’s fascinating to explore the different tricks we can use on our own brains to create life hacks.  And, I’ve been an enthusiast of writing tools for a while (which should have probably been a hint a lot earlier in my life that I was going to be a teacher, we do like our stationary).

If you’re looking to try pens, but not just any pens, those that are high quality but also reasonably affordable, I’ve listed links to some of my favorites below (as a heads up this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you).

The Inkjoy Gel Pen – The Popular Teacher Go To: https://amzn.to/49jy1E6 

Uniball Zento – My favorite, bold and smooth ink in neutral colored barrels: https://amzn.to/4piexWg 

Sharpie S–Gel – Bold ink, and looking extra classy for parent-teacher and admin meetings: https://amzn.to/3MYgGt2