‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: five UK teachers on handling ‘‘sixseven’ in the educational setting

Throughout the UK, learners have been calling out the words ““six-seven” during instruction in the newest meme-based trend to sweep across educational institutions.

Whereas some instructors have chosen to patiently overlook the craze, others have embraced it. Five educators share how they’re managing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade tutor group about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for results six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I might have delivered an hint at an offensive subject, or that they’d heard an element of my accent that sounded funny. Slightly exasperated – but truly interested and conscious that they weren’t trying to be hurtful – I persuaded them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the explanation they offered didn’t make much difference – I remained with no idea.

What could have caused it to be especially amusing was the weighing-up gesture I had made while speaking. Subsequently I discovered that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: My purpose was it to aid in demonstrating the act of me speaking my mind.

With the aim of kill it off I aim to mention it as much as I can. Nothing deflates a craze like this more emphatically than an teacher trying to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it aids so that you can prevent just blundering into remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the number combination is inevitable, possessing a strong classroom conduct rules and expectations on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any different disruption, but I rarely needed to implement that. Policies are one thing, but if students buy into what the school is practicing, they will become less distracted by the viral phenomena (especially in class periods).

Concerning 67, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, except for an occasional quizzical look and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide attention to it, then it becomes a blaze. I handle it in the identical manner I would handle any different disturbance.

Previously existed the mathematical meme trend a previous period, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. During my own childhood, it was doing television personalities mimicry (truthfully outside the learning space).

Young people are unforeseeable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to behave in a manner that redirects them in the direction of the path that will enable them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is graduating with academic achievements rather than a behaviour list lengthy for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners utilize it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: one says it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a football chant – an agreed language they use. I don’t think it has any distinct importance to them; they merely recognize it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they want to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my teaching space, however – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – just like any other shouting out is. It’s particularly tricky in maths lessons. But my pupils at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re quite adherent to the regulations, while I appreciate that at teen education it might be a distinct scenario.

I have served as a instructor for fifteen years, and these phenomena continue for a few weeks. This craze will die out shortly – it invariably occurs, notably once their younger siblings begin using it and it’s no longer trendy. Afterward they shall be on to the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a foreign language school. It was primarily young men saying it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent within the junior students. I had no idea what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was just a meme comparable to when I was at school.

The crazes are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really occur as often in the educational setting. In contrast to ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was not scribbled on the board in lessons, so pupils were less equipped to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I accidentally say it, striving to empathise with them and recognize that it is just contemporary trends. I believe they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of community and companionship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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