‘You just have to laugh’: five UK teachers on coping with ‘‘67’ in the classroom

Across the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the phrase “sixseven” during classes in the most recent internet-inspired trend to sweep across schools.

Although some teachers have decided to patiently overlook the trend, others have incorporated it. Several educators describe how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade tutor group about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. I can’t remember specifically what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I might have delivered an hint at an offensive subject, or that they’d heard a quality in my speech pattern that sounded funny. A bit frustrated – but truly interested and mindful that they weren’t hurtful – I asked them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the explanation they provided didn’t provide greater understanding – I continued to have little comprehension.

What could have made it particularly humorous was the considering motion I had made while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this frequently goes with “six-seven”: I had intended it to assist in expressing the process of me thinking aloud.

In order to eliminate it I try to reference it as much as I can. Nothing diminishes a craze like this more effectively than an adult trying to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it helps so that you can avoid just accidentally making comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the digit pairing is unpreventable, possessing a firm student discipline system and requirements on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can address it as you would any other disruption, but I rarely needed to implement that. Guidelines are necessary, but if students buy into what the school is implementing, they’ll be better concentrated by the online trends (especially in lesson time).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, other than for an periodic raised eyebrow and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give oxygen to it, it evolves into an inferno. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would manage any additional disturbance.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a while back, and there will no doubt be a different trend following this. It’s what kids do. When I was childhood, it was imitating comedy characters impressions (honestly away from the school environment).

Young people are unpredictable, and In my opinion it falls to the teacher to behave in a approach that redirects them toward the direction that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with academic achievements instead of a behaviour list a mile long for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners employ it like a connecting expression in the schoolyard: one says it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an common expression they possess. I believe it has any distinct importance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the newest phenomenon is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my teaching space, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they shout it out – similar to any different verbal interruption is. It’s notably difficult in numeracy instruction. But my students at fifth grade are pre-teens, so they’re relatively adherent to the rules, while I understand that at teen education it may be a separate situation.

I have served as a educator for 15 years, and these phenomena last for three or four weeks. This craze will diminish in the near future – they always do, especially once their younger siblings start saying it and it ceases to be trendy. Afterward they shall be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mainly boys uttering it. I educated teenagers and it was widespread among the less experienced learners. I was unaware what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon comparable to when I was a student.

These trends are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon back when I was at my training school, but it failed to exist as much in the classroom. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in lessons, so learners were less prepared to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, striving to understand them and understand that it’s merely contemporary trends. In my opinion they simply desire to feel that sense of community and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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Ashley Wright
Ashley Wright

Design enthusiast and writer with a passion for uncovering innovative trends in modern living and architecture.