First off,...wow! For this price, I didn't expect it to be full size. Even though it say's 12", I thought it would be flimsy and narrow. I have a plastic one that is long enough for a full size piece of paper, but it is short and light weight. This one can handle all sorts of jobs. It is marked on the metal plate so you can line up the paper correctly before you start cutting. There is a paper guide to slip the paper under to help control slipping. And, the sping is very tight so you don't accidently go too fast and cut yourself. I would think that would be safer around children too. They can't just grab the slider are run it back and forth. The quality of this cutter is much better that I has imagined for the money. This would handle a classroom project hands down.