Being a Good Class Monitor: The Dummy's Guide!




So students, every year there are two monitors selected from your class, right? I'm writing this article from my past experiences. This is practiced in most schools. All monitors/leaders are generally the "best boy" of the class/school (in discipline), or maybe the highest academic scorer (Well, the criteria does vary from school to school- I have written the common practice) . Observing leaders and captains from various schools, I have come to a conclusion and just decided to publish this article, as a guide. Being a leader is not that easy. One has to be taking the responsibility of his/her whole class, or perhaps, the entire school. Being a leader demands a lot from us. Some random quotes are:

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
-Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
-John F. Kennedy

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”
-John Maxwell

Quotes done, coming to the main content. Here are few qualities a leader should have, in my opinion. 

  1. Be Understanding: A class monitor or captain should be understanding about the matters. There should be no one left unheard. A good leader should be able to give correct judgement on disputes and such. 
  2. Unprejudiced: This is a very important quality. A monitor should be impartial. It should not be the case where the monitors brings special favors for his best friends and does wrong to the other. If one of the friends of the monitor commits a minor breach of school rules, the concerned should be treated with punishment that the other boys would have to face.
  3. Being responsible: A monitor should be responsible for his or her actions. Also, any mistake made by the class will mean the monitor to be held responsible. The monitor should be capable of controlling the entire class. 
  4. Should be well-disciplined: The monitor himself should be well-disciplined. No one likes their leader to be a ill disciplined person. The Good Lord 
  5. Not complaining frequently: Sure, a monitor does need to report to the teacher about the most students who are stubborn, but that doesn't mean reporting twice quotidian. A monitor should make a "reporting frequency"- like reporting the top three disturbing students each Friday, and such. Also, when minor issues like small quarrels pops up, the monitor should warn, reprimand them and leave them off. However, things like stealing and issues of more seriousness and which breaches the school's conduct regulations should be promptly reported to the teacher. 
  6. Setting an example for others to follow: One of the most important qualities, in my opinion. A quick example: A monitor should not sit in the back seat of the class and continue chatting with friends; while at the same time, he/she is jotting down names of students talking during the period. Set examples for others to follow. 
  7. Award well-behaved students: A monitor should award well-behaved students each month. I used this ideology of mine when I was the monitor for the first time. It was a huge success. Everyone appreciated it. The class listened to me, respected me and did whatever I said. It was what the teachers call, "Listen to my instructions, and I will be extremely nice to you". I, on my part, made sure that almost everyone was nominated for the prize. The Prize could be anything- from a 1 rupees Eclairs or well.. nominating the concerned person for a "Positive remark" at the end of the term.
With the Investiture Ceremony coming, I just scripted this so that you might use it as a guide and suggest some points to your monitors. Of course, I believe that monitors know these things quite well. All the best for the upcoming monitors, and also I wish the students best wishes for the new academic year! Stay happy :) 

Comments

  1. My first experience as the class monitor is this year.The boys of our class is very ill-diciplined.However from this time i will follow all these tips.And help to reach my class at the top.

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    Replies
    1. No worries.. be self confident, that's it :)

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  2. I am choosen as the class monitor this year.The boys of our class is very ill diciplined.From now on i will follow all these tip to improve my class.Thanx for the tips.

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  3. I am the new monitor of my class. I have some previous experiences of a monitor. The class won't listen to me and they will say I am taking my job to serious. Am I wrong in there? According to me I have each and every right as the monitor to tell them to sit down and be quiet.

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    Replies
    1. Well @Anonymous.. you can't force someone to do something. That hurts their ego. Like, if you were a student and your monitor would ask you to shut up, and dare to speak against him/her, wouldn't that have hurt your precious prestige? That's all. Therefore, approach will calm. See point no. 7, I have explained this. "According to me I have each and every right as the monitor to tell them to sit down and be quiet". Never ever say this sentence to your mates. You are a authority, you know that, everyone knows that. Instead to make them keep quite, say, that if everyone keeps quite I'll make sure you go for a picnic.. and use motivational words instead of forcing students to gulp your order. No one likes to take orders, remember. Have a sympathetic heart, listen to their viewpoint too. Happy monitoring :)

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  4. Thanks. It was really helpful. ...

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  5. am also a monitor. yesterday was my first day. i am asst. monitor. no one listen to me. what should i do?

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  6. /* Referring to my reply to another anonymous person */

    Well @Anonymous.. you can't force someone to do something. That hurts their ego. Like, if you were a student and your monitor would ask you to shut up, and dare to speak against him/her, wouldn't that have hurt your precious prestige? That's all. Therefore, approach will calm. See point no. 7, I have explained this. "According to me I have each and every right as the monitor to tell them to sit down and be quiet". Never ever say this sentence to your mates. You are a authority, you know that, everyone knows that. Instead to make them keep quite, say, that if everyone keeps quite I'll make sure you go for a picnic.. and use motivational words instead of forcing students to gulp your order. No one likes to take orders, remember. Have a sympathetic heart, listen to their viewpoint too. Happy monitoring :)

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  7. I M A girl n hv been choosen as monitr bt some girls r so undisciplined n loud dt smetyms i feel insultd..many girls say me pagal monitor bt i xtrmly feel bad plz fed a remedy

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    Replies
    1. It's not about keeping the class quite. The trick is, be interactive. Ask them what they like, conduct monthly surveys on what they would like to see in you. Shape yourself according to that opinion. That doesn't mean you do things that you ain't supposed to do. Things will only go fine then. Shouting doesn't bring any result- it hurts one's ego merely. Try to be compassionate. The Magic works only then. Enjoy and have a good day.

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  8. i want a long essay on why monitors are important in class can anyone give me

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  9. Joel Blah Kyndiah04 March, 2015 16:47

    I am elected as class leader and its damn difficult but thanks to this great and awesome guide I have learned a lot,so thank's a lot Dipankan

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  10. even i was selected as the class monitor this month but it was a flop !!i was so sad but if i continue using these tips i can gain my lost badge ...i was so sad when my teacher asked me to handover the badge to another girls i was like.....soooo angry bit surely this helps i am an assistant leader

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    Replies
    1. Wish you all the best in your endeavor and hopefully you should get it back :)

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  11. im participating for the post of class monitor so that i need a small speech to give in front of my classmates im 5th standard

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  12. I'm sure they are going to be useful.I'll try to follow these rules to my fullest potential.

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  13. suggest tios for monitoring a 2nd standard classroom. Student monitoring is from the same classroom

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  14. these all tips are going to be very useful. there are monitor elections in our school. hope for the best

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  15. I HAVE BEEN ELECTED AS THE BOYS MONITOR. TILL NOW IT ISN'T A GOOD GOING. THE BOYS SHOUT AT ME WITH ABUSIVE WORDS AND IF I GIVE THEM BACK A NICE ONE, I GET A HUGE BAD NAME INSTEAD OF THE ONES WHO STARTED IT.
    WHAT COULD I DO IN ORDER TO CHANGE THIS CONDITION?
    AND I HAVE BECOME THE CLASS MONITOR FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I HAVE NO IDEAS WHAT MY DUTIES ARE.
    KINDLY HELP ME

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  16. i am chosen as a monitor of the class . i am not able to control them . even though im using good words ..talking calmly to them ...but the boys they just make fun of us , fights and makes nuisence in the class what to do ?????????

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  17. I am now the new monitor of our class and reading this Tips will surely help me in my term of monitoring.

    Thank you

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  18. there is an elction to be monitor so i want it how to be the monitor what to say as speeach..., in my class

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  19. there is an elction to be monitor so i want it how to be the monitor what to say as speeach..., in my class

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am selected as the class monitor for the first time. I am able to handle the most of the class but 3 of the boys are refusing to follow the instructions and reply me with undisciplined words in an undisciplined manner. I find it less effective to report them to the class-teacher. What should I rather do then ?

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  21. Hello I am Vedanth and I am standing for school pupil leader and I am nervous please advice me with a good and funny speach

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  22. Hello I am Vedanth and I am standing for school pupil leader and I am nervous please advice me with a good and funny speach

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  23. I am chosen as classroom monitor this year. One of my classmates are very ill-diciplined and is rebelling agiast me. Everytime I say 'Keep quiet', she says 'You keep quiet.' And another one, the teacher's assistant in class is targeting me. She thinks that I am being full of myself. I honestly don't think I am, I just don't care much about everything. How can I improve my relationship with these two classmates?
    Please help me!!!

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  24. I am being a monitor first time. Some of the boys don't listen to me if i tell them some thing they will ignore it .i am not saying them that you have to shut your mouth like a dumb i have no problem if they talk . I am just saying them just talk silently and don't disturb anyone and making the classroom as a fish market. But nobody listens to me some are laughing some are just ignoring me and some are not taking me seriously what should I do

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  25. hii dipanjan I m chosen the class minitor.....bt some students in my class r very ill that whenever i say them to sit down they ner listened to me and complained to the teachers that i m writing their names on the complain sheet unnessecerialy

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