‘You just have to laugh’: a quintet of UK teachers on coping with ‘‘sixseven’ in the school environment

Throughout the UK, learners have been shouting out the words ““six-seven” during instruction in the newest meme-based craze to sweep across educational institutions.

While some instructors have chosen to calmly disregard the trend, others have accepted it. Several instructors explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been addressing my year 11 students about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. I can’t remember precisely what it was in relation to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It surprised me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I had created an hint at something rude, or that they’d heard an element of my pronunciation that seemed humorous. Somewhat frustrated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they weren’t trying to be mean – I asked them to explain. Frankly speaking, the clarification they offered didn’t provide greater understanding – I continued to have no idea.

What might have rendered it extra funny was the evaluating motion I had performed during speaking. I have since learned that this typically pairs with ““67”: I meant it to help convey the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

To kill it off I aim to mention it as often as I can. Nothing diminishes a craze like this more effectively than an adult attempting to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it aids so that you can steer clear of just accidentally making remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unpreventable, possessing a strong school behaviour policy and standards on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any different disturbance, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are necessary, but if pupils embrace what the learning environment is implementing, they will remain less distracted by the viral phenomena (especially in class periods).

Regarding 67, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, aside from an periodic eyebrow raise and saying “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes a wildfire. I handle it in the identical manner I would handle any different disturbance.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a while back, and there will no doubt be a different trend after this. That’s children’s behavior. Back when I was youth, it was performing Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly outside the classroom).

Young people are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it falls to the teacher to react in a approach that guides them toward the direction that will enable them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is coming out with certificates as opposed to a behaviour list a mile long for the utilization of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students use it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to show they are the identical community. It resembles a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they share. I don’t think it has any particular significance to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the current trend is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, however – it’s a warning if they shout it out – identical to any different calling out is. It’s particularly tricky in numeracy instruction. But my pupils at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite adherent to the rules, while I appreciate that at secondary [school] it might be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a educator for fifteen years, and such trends last for a few weeks. This craze will die out in the near future – they always do, especially once their junior family members begin using it and it’s no longer trendy. Afterward they shall be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a foreign language school. It was mainly male students uttering it. I instructed teenagers and it was widespread within the less experienced learners. I didn’t understand its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was just a meme similar to when I was a student.

The crazes are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t particularly exist as much in the learning environment. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the whiteboard in instruction, so learners were less able to adopt it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, trying to empathise with them and recognize that it’s simply contemporary trends. I believe they just want to experience that feeling of belonging and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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Melissa Gutierrez
Melissa Gutierrez

A passionate gamer and betting analyst with years of experience in the eSports industry, sharing strategies and reviews.