‘You just have to laugh’: five UK instructors on handling ‘six-seven’ in the classroom

Throughout the UK, learners have been exclaiming the expression ““six-seven” during classes in the most recent meme-based trend to take over classrooms.

Whereas some teachers have decided to calmly disregard the phenomenon, different educators have accepted it. A group of instructors share how they’re dealing.

‘My initial assumption was that I’d uttered something offensive’

During September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade class about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re working to results six, seven …” and the entire group burst out laughing. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected a quality in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Somewhat exasperated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I asked them to clarify. To be honest, the description they then gave didn’t provide much difference – I still had minimal understanding.

What possibly rendered it especially amusing was the evaluating gesture I had made while speaking. I have since discovered that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the process of me thinking aloud.

In order to eliminate it I try to reference it as frequently as I can. No approach diminishes a trend like this more emphatically than an teacher attempting to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it assists so that you can avoid just accidentally making remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is unpreventable, possessing a firm student discipline system and standards on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any additional interruption, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Policies are necessary, but if students accept what the school is doing, they will remain less distracted by the internet crazes (at least in instructional hours).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, other than for an occasional quizzical look and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide oxygen to it, it evolves into a wildfire. I handle it in the identical manner I would handle any other interruption.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one trend a while back, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon subsequently. It’s what kids do. Back when I was growing up, it was performing television personalities impersonations (truthfully away from the learning space).

Young people are unforeseeable, and I think it’s an adult’s job to behave in a way that steers them in the direction of the course that will help them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with certificates as opposed to a conduct report lengthy for the utilization of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners utilize it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the identical community. It resembles a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they use. In my view it has any distinct meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a thing to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, however – it results in a caution if they call it out – similar to any different calling out is. It’s especially challenging in numeracy instruction. But my pupils at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re quite compliant with the regulations, while I recognize that at secondary [school] it could be a distinct scenario.

I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and these crazes continue for a few weeks. This craze will die out shortly – they always do, particularly once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it stops being trendy. Subsequently they will be engaged with the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was mainly young men saying it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was common among the less experienced learners. I was unaware what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was simply an internet trend similar to when I attended classes.

These trends are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly appear as frequently in the educational setting. In contrast to “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in instruction, so students were less able to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to understand them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. I think they just want to enjoy that sensation of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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Samantha White
Samantha White

Passionate gamer and esports journalist with over a decade of experience covering competitive gaming scenes worldwide.