The term “study hall” has two different meanings, both of which are related to academics. The first is the idea of designating a room or area solely for the purpose of studying or reading. The following is a time when students are expected to study or complete homework. Students who have completed their work may use this time as a free period. Both types of study halls may be monitored teachers or other officials.
A study hall, in the sense of a study space, is usually kept quiet so that students can concentrate. Students who need to work with audiovisual materials wear headphones and may screen their workspaces to avoid distractions. Students may have access to a variety of books, computers, and other reference materials in these areas. A study hall, in many cases, has comfortable seating combined with desks or tables so that students can read in comfort or spread work out on a table while sitting upright.
Many colleges and universities have study halls for students, which are often located near libraries. In some cases, conference spaces may be set aside in these areas so that groups of students can get together to work on a project without disrupting the general study space. Staff or monitors may be present to ensure that the space remains quiet, or the space may be designed to function independently.
A study hall is most common in pre-college education when it comes to having a set time to do work. Students are expected to work quietly on projects or read, with a teacher on hand to supervise and assist them as needed. Students may sign up for a study hall or it may be built into the school schedule, depending on their age and how the school is run.
During study hall, a teacher stands to assist students, but this is also a work period for the teacher. During this time, many teachers are expected to work on paperwork or grade student papers. This can be stressful for some teachers, who must support students while also doing their own work. Teachers have protested this practice in some areas, believing that their divided attention is unfair to the students.