‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: several UK instructors on handling ‘‘67’ in the school environment

Throughout the UK, students have been exclaiming the words ““six-seven” during instruction in the newest internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across schools.

While some teachers have decided to stoically ignore the phenomenon, different educators have incorporated it. Five teachers explain how they’re managing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade tutor group about studying for their qualification tests in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in reference to, but I said something like “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I’d made an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived a quality in my pronunciation that seemed humorous. Somewhat annoyed – but truly interested and aware that they had no intention of being hurtful – I got them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the explanation they offered didn’t make greater understanding – I continued to have no idea.

What possibly caused it to be especially amusing was the considering movement I had performed during speaking. I later discovered that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: I had intended it to help convey the process of me verbalizing thoughts.

To eliminate it I try to reference it as frequently as I can. No approach diminishes a phenomenon like this more effectively than an adult attempting to join in.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it helps so that you can prevent just accidentally making comments like “well, there were 6, 7 million unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the digit pairing is inevitable, having a strong classroom conduct rules and requirements on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any additional disruption, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are important, but if pupils buy into what the educational institution is practicing, they will remain less distracted by the internet crazes (particularly in class periods).

With 67, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, except for an infrequent quizzical look and saying ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide attention to it, then it becomes an inferno. I address it in the identical manner I would manage any different interruption.

Earlier occurred the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze subsequently. It’s what kids do. Back when I was youth, it was doing television personalities impersonations (honestly away from the classroom).

Young people are unforeseeable, and I think it falls to the teacher to respond in a approach that guides them back to the path that will help them toward their academic objectives, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with qualifications rather than a behaviour list lengthy for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners use it like a connecting expression in the schoolyard: one says it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a verbal exchange or a football chant – an agreed language they possess. I don’t think it has any particular meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a thing to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they want to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my learning environment, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – similar to any additional calling out is. It’s especially tricky in mathematics classes. But my students at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re fairly compliant with the guidelines, although I recognize that at secondary [school] it could be a separate situation.

I have worked as a instructor for a decade and a half, and these phenomena last for a few weeks. This phenomenon will fade away soon – this consistently happens, particularly once their junior family members start saying it and it’s no longer fashionable. Then they’ll be on to the subsequent trend.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mostly boys uttering it. I taught teenagers and it was widespread among the junior students. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was just a meme comparable to when I was at school.

These trends are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a well-known trend back when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly appear as frequently in the learning environment. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in lessons, so students were less equipped to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will smile with the students if I accidentally say it, striving to understand them and understand that it is just pop culture. I think they simply desire to feel that sense of community and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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Jennifer Walton
Jennifer Walton

Elara is a passionate horticulturist with over a decade of experience in organic gardening and landscape design.