Hall monitor
Encyclopedia
A hall monitor is a student volunteer in American
schools who is charged with maintaining order in the school's corridors. They may be either students who are chosen for the position because they are responsible, or that may be chosen on a rota from all available students. (A dorm monitor, similarly, is a student or teacher volunteer in schools who is charged with maintaining order in a school's dormitories
, i.e. making sure children are in bed asleep and not disturbing others).
While specific duties vary between establishments, hall monitors typically check that students who are outside of their classrooms during lesson times have a valid hall pass
, maintain overall good conduct in the corridors by preventing running and rowdy behavior, and ensure students are punctual in attending classes. Hall monitors may also be posted to a school's doors in order to prevent unauthorized entry during recess, in which case they may be known as door monitors.
A hall monitor may have extra privilege and authority that is not afforded to other students, though the exact nature varies between schools.
Hall monitors are most commonly found in junior and middle schools within the United States
, but they may also be found in other countries under different names, or with slightly different duties.
the hall monitor system is not used; however, some secondary schools create prefects from the older students who may carry out some of the same duties, with variants including senior prefects
and the Head Boy
/Head Girl.
In Malta
a few schools have monitors, mostly door, class and hall monitors. Their job is not to let any one into classes before the lessons start and during recess. Class monitors are like prefects but only stay with the class until the teacher arrives for the first lesson in the morning of right after recess.
In India
the title is only monitor who has responsibilities for assisting teachers in class.
In this context, hall monitors are frequently portrayed as being similar to police officers or security guards, and their requests to see students hall pass
es are commonly used as allegory to requests for ID by the police.
In The Simpsons
episode "Separate Vocations
", Bart Simpson
becomes an authoritarian hall monitor after spending the day on a police ridealong; while in Codename: Kids Next Door
episode Operation: P.I.N.K.E.Y.E., the school's hall monitor is portrayed as a corrupt Irish-American detective
who turns a blind eye to adult schemes. In the South Park
episode "Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy
," Eric Cartman
grossly abuses his power as hall monitor, which he portrays in the style of Dog the Bounty Hunter
.
In an episode of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
, entitled Hall Monster
, Jimmy becomes a hall monitor and abuses his power. An episode of the Brady Bunch had Bobby Brady becoming a hall monitor and extending his enforcement of the school rules into the home when he started reporting his brothers and sisters to his parents.
The ED-209
from RoboCop
makes a cameo appearance in the show Family Guy
(“Running Mates”) as the “XL-K” hall pass enforcement robot. The scene in which an Omni Consumer Products
executive is killed after complying with orders is also parodied when a young girl is confronted by the XL-K and requested to present a hall pass. It attacks her even after she presents her hall pass.
Examples can also be found in shows such as Fillmore!
and Saved by the Bell
. In a season episode of Everybody Hates Chris
, Chris becomes a hall monitor but no one gives him respect.
Also, in Disney Channel's Original Series, The Suite Life on Deck
, episode 24 (season 2 episode 3: In the Line of Duty), Zack (Dylan Sprouse) is appointed by his teacher Miss Tutweiller (Erin Cardillo
) as hall monitor on the ship, but messes it all up when he sends all the students in detention.
The position of hall monitor can also be used in pop culture to show how school children who receive the title can be affected by power. For instance, in the Nickelodeon
cartoon Hey Arnold, Phoebe (the nice, quiet, brainy girl) succeeds Helga as hall monitor and later becomes a power-hungry tyrant.
In Ben 10
Season 4, episode 40 Perfect Day, Kevin Levin was patrolling the halls, Gwen remarks Kevin as a tough hall monitor.
In the SpongeBob SquarePants
, episode "Hall Monitor", Boating School Teacher Mrs. Puff makes SpongeBob the Hall Monitor of the day, much to her dismay, and he grossly overdoes everything on and off school grounds.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
schools who is charged with maintaining order in the school's corridors. They may be either students who are chosen for the position because they are responsible, or that may be chosen on a rota from all available students. (A dorm monitor, similarly, is a student or teacher volunteer in schools who is charged with maintaining order in a school's dormitories
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
, i.e. making sure children are in bed asleep and not disturbing others).
While specific duties vary between establishments, hall monitors typically check that students who are outside of their classrooms during lesson times have a valid hall pass
Hall pass
A hall pass is a pass or token used in American and Canadian public schools to show that a student has been authorized to be out of his/her classroom while lessons are in progress. They are commonly issued to students if they need to visit the Toilet, if they have been asked to run an errand for a...
, maintain overall good conduct in the corridors by preventing running and rowdy behavior, and ensure students are punctual in attending classes. Hall monitors may also be posted to a school's doors in order to prevent unauthorized entry during recess, in which case they may be known as door monitors.
A hall monitor may have extra privilege and authority that is not afforded to other students, though the exact nature varies between schools.
Hall monitors are most commonly found in junior and middle schools within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but they may also be found in other countries under different names, or with slightly different duties.
In other countries
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the hall monitor system is not used; however, some secondary schools create prefects from the older students who may carry out some of the same duties, with variants including senior prefects
Senior Prefect
Senior Prefects are a variant form of prefect taken by students in the British education system.In some British schools the student body or the head teacher appoints a member of the highest grade or form to perform a series of duties to help the organisation of the school. Normally a few select...
and the Head Boy
Head boy
Head Boy and Head Girl are terms commonly used in the British education system, and in private schools throughout the Commonwealth.-United Kingdom:...
/Head Girl.
In Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
a few schools have monitors, mostly door, class and hall monitors. Their job is not to let any one into classes before the lessons start and during recess. Class monitors are like prefects but only stay with the class until the teacher arrives for the first lesson in the morning of right after recess.
In India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
the title is only monitor who has responsibilities for assisting teachers in class.
Popular culture
The concept of the Hall monitor has entered into popular culture in the US, and is frequently used as plot device or script elements in children's entertainment.In this context, hall monitors are frequently portrayed as being similar to police officers or security guards, and their requests to see students hall pass
Hall pass
A hall pass is a pass or token used in American and Canadian public schools to show that a student has been authorized to be out of his/her classroom while lessons are in progress. They are commonly issued to students if they need to visit the Toilet, if they have been asked to run an errand for a...
es are commonly used as allegory to requests for ID by the police.
In The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Separate Vocations
Separate Vocations
"Separate Vocations" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 27, 1992. In the episode, the Springfield Elementary School makes the students take career aptitude tests...
", Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
becomes an authoritarian hall monitor after spending the day on a police ridealong; while in Codename: Kids Next Door
Codename: Kids Next Door
Codename: Kids Next Door, also known as Kids Next Door or by its acronym KND, is an American animated television series created by Tom Warburton and produced by Curious Pictures in Santa Monica, California.. The series debuted on Cartoon Network on December 6, 2002 and aired its final episode on...
episode Operation: P.I.N.K.E.Y.E., the school's hall monitor is portrayed as a corrupt Irish-American detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
who turns a blind eye to adult schemes. In the South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode "Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy
Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy
"Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy" is the tenth episode of season 10, overall the 149th, of Comedy Central's South Park. It originally aired on October 18, 2006....
," Eric Cartman
Eric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
grossly abuses his power as hall monitor, which he portrays in the style of Dog the Bounty Hunter
Dog the Bounty Hunter
Dog the Bounty Hunter is a reality television show on A&E which chronicles Duane "Dog" Chapman's adventures as a fugitive recovery agent, or bounty hunter...
.
In an episode of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, often shortened to just Jimmy Neutron, is an American animated television series, and spin-off of the Academy Award-nominated computer-animated movie, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. The series first officially aired on July 20, 2002, on Nickelodeon...
, entitled Hall Monster
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, often shortened to just Jimmy Neutron, is an American animated television series, and spin-off of the Academy Award-nominated computer-animated movie, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. The series first officially aired on July 20, 2002, on Nickelodeon...
, Jimmy becomes a hall monitor and abuses his power. An episode of the Brady Bunch had Bobby Brady becoming a hall monitor and extending his enforcement of the school rules into the home when he started reporting his brothers and sisters to his parents.
The ED-209
ED-209
The Enforcement Droid Series 209, or ED-209, is a fictional robot in the RoboCop franchise. The ED-209 serves as a heavily-armed obstacle and foil for the series' titular character, as well as a source of comic relief due to its lack of intelligence and tendency towards clumsy malfunctions.The...
from RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
makes a cameo appearance in the show Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
(“Running Mates”) as the “XL-K” hall pass enforcement robot. The scene in which an Omni Consumer Products
Omni Consumer Products
Omni Consumer Products may refer to:*Omni Consumer Products , a fictitious mega-corporation seen in the RoboCop series of Movies and TV shows.*Omni Consumer Products , a company that manufactures products based on fictional movie items...
executive is killed after complying with orders is also parodied when a young girl is confronted by the XL-K and requested to present a hall pass. It attacks her even after she presents her hall pass.
Examples can also be found in shows such as Fillmore!
Fillmore!
Fillmore! is an American animated television series which was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The series was created by Scott M. Gimple...
and Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
. In a season episode of Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
, Chris becomes a hall monitor but no one gives him respect.
Also, in Disney Channel's Original Series, The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
, episode 24 (season 2 episode 3: In the Line of Duty), Zack (Dylan Sprouse) is appointed by his teacher Miss Tutweiller (Erin Cardillo
Erin Cardillo
Erin Cardillo is an American actress. She best known for her role as Emma Tutweiller on The Suite Life on Deck and for her role as Esme Vanderheusen in Passions.-Biography:...
) as hall monitor on the ship, but messes it all up when he sends all the students in detention.
The position of hall monitor can also be used in pop culture to show how school children who receive the title can be affected by power. For instance, in the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
cartoon Hey Arnold, Phoebe (the nice, quiet, brainy girl) succeeds Helga as hall monitor and later becomes a power-hungry tyrant.
In Ben 10
Ben 10
The Omnitrix was originally created by a Galvan named Azmuth. The Omnitrix was intended to allow beings to experience life as other species in order to bring understanding and foster peace in the universe....
Season 4, episode 40 Perfect Day, Kevin Levin was patrolling the halls, Gwen remarks Kevin as a tough hall monitor.
In the SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
, episode "Hall Monitor", Boating School Teacher Mrs. Puff makes SpongeBob the Hall Monitor of the day, much to her dismay, and he grossly overdoes everything on and off school grounds.