‘It’s impossible not to smile’: a quintet of UK educators on dealing with ‘‘sixseven’ in the school environment

Around the UK, learners have been exclaiming the phrase ““67” during lessons in the most recent meme-based phenomenon to spread through schools.

Whereas some educators have opted to calmly disregard the phenomenon, others have accepted it. Five educators describe how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Earlier in September, I had been addressing my year 11 students about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It caught me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an hint at something rude, or that they detected something in my accent that seemed humorous. A bit frustrated – but truly interested and aware that they had no intention of being hurtful – I persuaded them to clarify. To be honest, the description they provided failed to create greater understanding – I still had little comprehension.

What possibly made it particularly humorous was the considering gesture I had performed during speaking. Subsequently I learned that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the action of me thinking aloud.

In order to end the trend I aim to reference it as often as I can. No strategy deflates a phenomenon like this more thoroughly than an grown-up attempting to participate.

‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’

Understanding it assists so that you can avoid just accidentally making remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unavoidable, having a firm classroom conduct rules and expectations on pupil behavior really helps, as you can address it as you would any additional disturbance, but I rarely needed to implement that. Guidelines are necessary, but if learners embrace what the school is practicing, they’ll be better concentrated by the internet crazes (especially in class periods).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, other than for an infrequent quizzical look and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give focus on it, it evolves into an inferno. I treat it in the identical manner I would handle any different interruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a different trend after this. It’s what kids do. Back when I was growing up, it was doing comedy characters mimicry (truthfully out of the learning space).

Young people are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to react in a way that guides them in the direction of the direction that will help them where they need to go, which, with luck, is completing their studies with academic achievements rather than a conduct report a mile long for the utilization of arbitrary digits.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children utilize it like a connecting expression in the playground: one says it and the others respond to show they are the equivalent circle. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a football chant – an agreed language they use. I believe it has any specific meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they desire to feel part of it.

It’s banned in my learning environment, however – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – just like any other shouting out is. It’s particularly difficult in mathematics classes. But my pupils at fifth grade are pre-teens, so they’re fairly accepting of the guidelines, whereas I appreciate that at high school it may be a different matter.

I’ve been a instructor for a decade and a half, and these phenomena persist for a month or so. This phenomenon will fade away in the near future – it invariably occurs, especially once their junior family members start saying it and it stops being trendy. Subsequently they will be engaged with the next thing.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I began observing it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mostly male students uttering it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread within the less experienced learners. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I was a student.

The crazes are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to exist as much in the educational setting. Differing from ““sixseven”, ““the skibidi trend” was never written on the chalkboard in instruction, so students were less prepared to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply contemporary trends. I believe they merely seek to feel that sense of togetherness and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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