Wisdom Works: Iron Sharpens Iron

In our summer program, we treat freshmen as leaders. This is not the norm in my experience with some educational professionals. To them, freshmen are needy. They don’t know what they are doing. They are young, immature, impulsive, developing, distracting, unfocused, and the like. All true. My least favorite word in this regard is “freshie.” It encapsulates this philosophy that limits 25% of a given high school’s horsepower to grow and develop.

As iron sharpens iron, so one [freshman] sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17

The above proverb states the obvious, really. Freshmen are shaping each other whether we like it or not. We can allow this contact to be dulling or we can empower it to be truly sharpening.

When freshmen attend our summer program, I open the two-week experience by stating my “Why” for their presence in that Black Box theater on the first day. They are attending this experience so they can help their friends through the first day, the first week, and the first month of high school. In a sense, I tell them that they are going to sharpen their friends.

On the last day of this summer experience, I tell them I need their help. I need them to take everything that the teachers and the 12 upperclassmen have taught them over these past two weeks and use it to help those that did not attend this event.

And it works. This year we had 118 freshmen attend this two-week experience. We have equipped 27% of our freshman class. I wonder how many will take up the challenge.

One of the highest praises I have received as an educator was from the lead custodian of our building about three years after we launched this new approach to equipping freshmen.

He approached me about three weeks into the school year as I was standing in the hallway. He said, “They are different.”

I asked him what he was talking about.

“The freshmen. They are different. They are not as needy. They are taking care of each other.”

I was grateful for the feedback and hopeful for what we were doing.

We need to plan this sharpening. We need to structure this sharpening. So we give them the opportunity, the expectation, and the training to do this.

On the tenth day of the school year, I ask teachers to give me their top ten freshman leaders on their teams. I then give the teachers a contract for those ten freshmen to tutor during our 35-minute study hall that is opposite lunch. The freshman agrees to give up their study hall. They agree to initiate contact with students during study hall who appear to heed help or encouragement. They agree to attend our tutor training. And in exchange for that, they can miss study hall every last day of the week and be in our open spaces for time with other freshman leaders. (Even more sharpening.)

It works. They sharpen each other. They are properly valued. And our expectations are high. We also provide good coaching and support as they go through the leadership struggles that all of us go through when we step up.