‘You just have to laugh’: several UK teachers on handling ‘‘sixseven’ in the educational setting

Throughout the UK, learners have been exclaiming the words ““67” during classes in the newest viral craze to sweep across schools.

Whereas some teachers have decided to stoically ignore the phenomenon, others have embraced it. A group of teachers share how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade class about studying for their qualification tests in June. I can’t remember exactly what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the complete classroom erupted in laughter. It surprised me totally off guard.

My first thought was that I had created an hint at an offensive subject, or that they’d heard something in my speech pattern that sounded funny. A bit annoyed – but genuinely curious and aware that they had no intention of being mean – I got them to clarify. To be honest, the clarification they offered didn’t make greater understanding – I still had no idea.

What might have rendered it extra funny was the considering motion I had performed during speaking. I later discovered that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I had intended it to assist in expressing the process of me verbalizing thoughts.

With the aim of eliminate it I try to bring it up as frequently as I can. Nothing diminishes a phenomenon like this more thoroughly than an grown-up attempting to get involved.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it helps so that you can prevent just accidentally making remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is inevitable, maintaining a strong classroom conduct rules and expectations on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any different disruption, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are one thing, but if learners embrace what the learning environment is practicing, they will remain more focused by the online trends (at least in lesson time).

With 67, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, aside from an periodic raised eyebrow and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide attention to it, it transforms into a blaze. I handle it in the same way I would handle any different disturbance.

Previously existed the mathematical meme phenomenon a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge a different trend following this. That’s children’s behavior. When I was growing up, it was imitating comedy characters impressions (honestly outside the school environment).

Children are unpredictable, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a approach that steers them toward the path that will help them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is graduating with qualifications instead of a disciplinary record lengthy for the use of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners use it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: one says it and the other children answer to show they are the identical community. It’s like a verbal exchange or a football chant – an common expression they possess. In my view it has any specific meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what the current trend is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my learning environment, though – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – identical to any different calling out is. It’s particularly difficult in mathematics classes. But my students at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re fairly adherent to the regulations, while I understand that at secondary [school] it could be a distinct scenario.

I’ve been a teacher for 15 years, and such trends last for a month or so. This phenomenon will die out shortly – they always do, especially once their younger siblings begin using it and it stops being trendy. Afterward they shall be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mainly young men uttering it. I educated teenagers and it was prevalent within the younger pupils. I had no idea its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I understood it was just a meme akin to when I was at school.

These trends are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly occur as often in the learning environment. Differing from “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the chalkboard in instruction, so learners were less equipped to embrace it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I accidentally say it, trying to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s merely youth culture. I think they just want to experience that feeling of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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Madison Rice
Madison Rice

Award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience in investigative reporting and political commentary.