‘You just have to laugh’: a quintet of UK educators on dealing with ‘six-seven’ in the classroom

Across the UK, learners have been exclaiming the words ““67” during instruction in the newest meme-based phenomenon to spread through educational institutions.

Although some instructors have decided to stoically ignore the phenomenon, some have accepted it. Five teachers explain how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade students about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. I can’t remember specifically what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It took me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I had created an reference to something rude, or that they perceived a quality in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. A bit frustrated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t trying to be mean – I persuaded them to clarify. To be honest, the description they provided didn’t make greater understanding – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What might have caused it to be particularly humorous was the considering motion I had made while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the process of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of eliminate it I attempt to bring it up as frequently as I can. No approach reduces a craze like this more emphatically than an teacher trying to get involved.

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

Knowing about it assists so that you can prevent just accidentally making statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is inevitable, possessing a strong student discipline system and expectations on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any additional disturbance, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Policies are one thing, but if pupils buy into what the school is doing, they will become less distracted by the online trends (particularly in instructional hours).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, except for an infrequent raised eyebrow and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. Should you offer focus on it, it evolves into a wildfire. I address it in the identical manner I would handle any additional disturbance.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. During my own youth, it was doing television personalities impressions (truthfully outside the classroom).

Young people are unpredictable, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a way that redirects them back to the direction that will enable them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is completing their studies with certificates rather than a conduct report lengthy for the utilization of arbitrary digits.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children employ it like a connecting expression in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It resembles a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an agreed language they share. I believe it has any particular significance to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they want to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, though – it results in a caution if they shout it out – just like any additional calling out is. It’s especially difficult in maths lessons. But my class at fifth grade are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively compliant with the guidelines, while I recognize that at teen education it may be a separate situation.

I’ve been a instructor for 15 years, and these crazes continue for a few weeks. This phenomenon will diminish soon – they always do, notably once their junior family members start saying it and it ceases to be trendy. Then they’ll be on to the following phenomenon.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was primarily young men saying it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was common with the younger pupils. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was just a meme akin to when I was at school.

These trends are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the educational setting. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““the skibidi trend” was never written on the board in lessons, so pupils were less equipped to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I accidentally say it, attempting to understand them and understand that it’s simply youth culture. I think they merely seek to feel that sense of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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Carolyn Saunders
Carolyn Saunders

A tech historian and cybersecurity expert passionate about preserving and securing vintage computing systems.