‘You just have to laugh’: five UK instructors on handling ‘‘67’ in the educational setting

Around the UK, students have been calling out the phrase “sixseven” during instruction in the most recent internet-inspired trend to sweep across educational institutions.

Although some instructors have decided to stoically ignore the craze, different educators have incorporated it. Several teachers describe how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been talking to my year 11 tutor group about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I had created an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard something in my accent that sounded funny. Slightly frustrated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I asked them to clarify. To be honest, the clarification they then gave didn’t provide much difference – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What possibly rendered it extra funny was the weighing-up gesture I had made while speaking. I have since learned that this often accompanies “six-seven”: I meant it to help convey the process of me thinking aloud.

In order to kill it off I try to bring it up as much as I can. Nothing reduces a craze like this more emphatically than an adult trying to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it helps so that you can prevent just blundering into statements like “well, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is inevitable, having a firm classroom conduct rules and expectations on pupil behavior really helps, as you can deal with it as you would any different disturbance, but I rarely needed to implement that. Policies are one thing, but if students buy into what the learning environment is doing, they will remain better concentrated by the internet crazes (particularly in class periods).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, aside from an periodic raised eyebrow and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide focus on it, then it becomes an inferno. I handle it in the identical manner I would treat any different interruption.

Previously existed the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon after this. That’s children’s behavior. When I was childhood, it was imitating comedy characters impressions (admittedly away from the classroom).

Children are spontaneous, and I think it’s an adult’s job to behave in a approach that guides them in the direction of the course that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, with luck, is completing their studies with academic achievements instead of a conduct report lengthy for the employment of random numbers.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children utilize it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: one says it and the remaining students reply to show they are the same group. It resembles a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an common expression they share. I believe it has any distinct importance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. Whatever the latest craze is, they seek to be included in it.

It’s banned in my learning environment, however – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – similar to any additional verbal interruption is. It’s notably tricky in mathematics classes. But my class at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly adherent to the regulations, whereas I recognize that at high school it might be a different matter.

I’ve been a educator for 15 years, and such trends persist for three or four weeks. This craze will diminish soon – they always do, especially once their little brothers and sisters start saying it and it’s no longer trendy. Subsequently they will be engaged with the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a language institute. It was mainly boys saying it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread within the younger pupils. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was just a meme akin to when I was at school.

These trends are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon back when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly occur as often in the classroom. Unlike ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the whiteboard in class, so pupils were less able to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, striving to understand them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. I think they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of belonging and friendship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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Cynthia Ward
Cynthia Ward

Elara is a passionate horticulturist and interior designer, sharing creative tips for blending nature with home aesthetics.