Trading Places : Education: Parents become Oak Park High School students for a day. They discover just how grueling it can be to race from class to class and deal with other demands of campus life.

Pointing in the direction of a stranger , a curious student pokes her friend in the ribs and asks, “Who’s that?”

“What’s that?” is the shocked reply from another friend.

Horrified, a third young woman has figured it out. “Oh my God,” she says, gasping for air. “It’s a mother!” Mom smiles in their direction and keeps pace with the trio.

“That’s right,” says curious student No. 1, “today is SWAP day. You know, that Switch With A Parent thing they’re doing.”

Recovering from the trauma, the breathless student says, “Well, I would just die if one of my parents went to my classes for a day.”

Mom acknowledges the trio with a nod in their direction and heads for her second-period class.

Fortunately, the parents, students and faculty survived SWAP day. They may have even learned something about each other in the process, which is just what Oak Park High School Principal Jeff Chancer was hoping for when he implemented SWAP. Oak Park High School in Oak Park is the only school locally to initiate such a program.

The school has high standards and expectations of its students, Chancer said. It has a college preparatory curriculum, and its unit requirements for graduation are higher than at other area high schools. According to Chancer, 90% of Oak Park High students go on to college.

“The faculty realize the need to try new things and examine ways they can meet the needs of the kids,” Chancer said. “We realize that enhancing education doesn’t always have a dollar sign attached to it.”

Chancer first read a brief article about SWAP in a national newsletter for secondary school principals and liked the idea. He discussed it at a faculty meeting, he said, and everyone agreed to test the program.

Chancer views it as an opportunity for parents to better understand what kids go through each day, while instilling in them an appreciation for how difficult and demanding it is to be an educator.

“Parents don’t get a real true picture of what it is like in the schools,” Chancer said. “We hear about it from other parents or from our son or daughter, and a lot of it’s true. But some of it isn’t. There are some misconceptions. SWAP gives parents a feeling of what it is like to be back in high school again.”

Despite some trepidation, four parents and their children volunteered to be the first to participate in SWAP. Alan Dorfman attended his daughter Amee’s classes. Jackie Alexander went to school for her daughter Kelly Hineson: Janet Barlet followed her daughter Jennifer Pichotta’s schedule. And this reporter, who had never been a particularly willing student, attended her daughter Nicole’s classes.

“It says a lot about our relationship with our kids that they will let us enter their private world,” Alexander said.

Mom approaches her locker, aware of the inquisitive stares and nervous giggles she is causing.

Mom reaches up and fiddles with the combination lock. Oops, went past the number. OK, start again. Beads of perspiration gather at Mom’s brow while her panic level rises.

If the lock doesn’t open in the next minute and a half, she will be late for Spanish. The lock snaps open and Mom breathes once again. She can’t help but wonder if her daughter has this much trouble with the combination.

Parents went into the experiment hoping to learn more about their children’s lives and the atmosphere in which students are expected to attain knowledge they will need to survive in the real world.

What the parents found is that their kids are already operating in the real world. A world filled with stresses and pressure to succeed. They also found out why many teachers have gray hair at a young age.

Even before SWAP began, Dorfman acknowledged that learning seemed more complex and harder than when he was in school.

Nonetheless, when he arrived at school he had convinced himself that this was going to be a “stroll in the park.” The consequences of not doing well in school, he said, are much less than at work. Dorfman said the secret to managing the stress is to “judge what’s important to learn.”

Mom reaches the Spanish class and pulls on the door. It refuses to budge. Though she can’t see in through the darkened windows, she is aware that the kids can see her and she feels foolish.

She checks the room number again. There are two entrances into the class . She casually strolls over the other door. It opens.

“Excuse me,” she asks a friendly face, “would you show me where Nicole’s seat is?” Mom carefully negotiates her way through the crowd , feeling “like , totally conspicuous.”

Mom’s usual brashness turns instantly to shyness. Two young men are seated at the table.

“Hi. Are you Nicole’s mother?” asks the one with the stripe shaved through his sideburn.

“Yes, I am.”

“I’m Mike and that’s Brian next to you.”

Always the talker, Mom suddenly can’t think of a thing to say.

She is humbled. She knows that in the next 55 minutes her high school French, which she basically slept through, and the smattering of German she speaks will be of no help.

Just as Mom wants to make a dash for the exit, Brian smiles. “Open Nicole’s workbook,” he says, turning the pages for her and pointing to where they are studying.

“Thank you,” Mom whispers gratefully.

In the library, four tired but enthusiastic parents gathered to sum up their day and make their recommendations.

Alan Dorfman claimed he felt “invigorated.”

“It’s a little different, but pretty close to what I expected,” he said. “Kids are learning more details. The amount of what they learn and how it is presented is very different from when I went to school.”

Dorfman’s favorite classes were math and biology.

Though the three participating mothers did not expect the day to be easy, they were astonished by just how exhausted they felt.

“I have a better idea of what Kelly goes through each day and I understand why she’s stressed and why she is tired,” Alexander said.

Alexander huffed and puffed around the track during P. E. with the other girls. She was disappointed at not being able to partake in drama class, but with the spring musical only a week away, the students were busy rehearsing.

“I think Kelly appreciated my coming here today, and I sensed other students wished their parents could have been here,” she said. “I would gladly participate again.”

What did Barlet learn from her school experience?

“I learned about compassion for the teachers. Class management is difficult. Kids will try to get away with as much as they can and I see how disruptive it can be,” she said.

“And I learned compassion for the students--toting heavy backpacks and books, running to lockers, homework, rules and regulations, time constraints, authority, too short a nutrition break, a constant onslaught of tests, continuously rushing, being put on the spot, written reports, oral reports, movies that make you go to sleep, opinionated teachers and yucky food. School is very stressful,” she said.

“I’d rather be a teacher than a student.”

Mom pulls into the driveway and summons what is left of her strength to exit her car. Nicole flies out the front door.

“Well, how did it go?” she asks.

“Wait a minute, Nicole. Let me sit down and put my feet up. Would you bring me a glass of water?”

Nicole shoves the glass at her mother.

“There isn’t much time. You’re late and I have to get to play rehearsal,” she says. “How was math?” the inquiring mind wants to know. Besides Spanish, math is Mom’s least favorite subject.

“I am exhausted,” Mom admits. “How do you do this every day?”

Nicole grins triumphantly.

“I was miserable in Spanish and it improved only slightly through biology. But in honors English and in world history, I did great.”

Now Nicole is worried.

“Oh no. What did you do? You didn’t take over the class did you?”

“Just listen,” Mom says, smiling proudly. “We had to write a poem. Then we broke into work groups and shared our poetry, and the group picked mine to read aloud.”

All signs of Mom’s humility melt away.

“Oh, no,” Nicole says, groaning.

“The class applauded me. I was in my glory. And in world history I was great.

“We discussed totalitarianism in the Soviet Union and Germany during the 1930s and I was able to contribute--a lot.”

There are no words to describe the expression on Nicole’s face. Mom slumps back into her chair, her moment of glory now beaten down by fatigue.

“It’s not so easy--is it?” Nicole asks.

“No, it’s not,” Mom says. “But you know, despite the fact that I wouldn’t want to be back in high school, I’ve got to tell you, there are times when you fly out the door with your friends and I envy your energy and your freedom.”

This time, Nicole pauses to squeeze her mother’s hand before flying out the door. Nicole’s mother smiles. And for the umpteenth time this day, she feels grateful.

A Lesson in Role Reversal

Betty Immell (mother)

Morning / 7:10: No Breakfast, running late -- off to school Period 1 / 7:30: Go to locker -- Spanish II conjugate verbs Period 2 / 8:32: Math B -- work on Geometric figures Nutrition / 9:34: Meet friends at locker, put away books for periods 1 & 2, get Biology book, buy bagel and orange juice Period 3 / 9:52: Study Skills -- finish munching on bagel, do board work, use ladies room Period 4 / 10:54: Biology -- review for test on genetics & DNA Lunch / 11:50: Go to locker and put Biology book away, eagerly meet friends and other parents, eat lunch -- Ugh! Period 5 / 12:30: Honors English II -- discuss a poem called “The Fly” and write a poem with an analogy and describe its significance Period 6 / 1:35: World History -- discuss the spread of 1930’s totalitarianism in Soviet Union and Germany After School: Talk with Mr. Chancer and other parents regarding SWAP, interview two teachers and complete SWAP Evaluation Form

Nicole Immel (daughter)

Period 1 / 7:30: Made breakfast, got Morgan off to school, cleaned kitchen Period 2 / 8:32: Cleaned family room, my room, and straightened Mom’s office Nutrition / 9:34: Washed clothes and vacuumed house Period 3 / 9:52: Showered, steamed face, did nails, dried hair, medicated, got dressed and worked on novella Period 4 / 10:54: Worked on Novella, watched Little House on the Prairie, dropped off medicine at Morgan’s school -- fell asleep Lunch / 11:50: Watched Little House on the Prarie and All My Children Period 5 / 12:35: Watched All My Children and One Life to Live, ate some soup Period 6 / 1:35: Watched One Life to Live and General Hospital