‘You just have to laugh’: several UK educators on coping with ‘six-seven’ in the school environment

Across the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the expression “sixseven” during lessons in the newest meme-based craze to sweep across schools.

While some instructors have decided to calmly disregard the phenomenon, different educators have embraced it. Five instructors describe how they’re coping.

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

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my year 11 students about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. I can’t remember exactly what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the complete classroom erupted in laughter. It took me totally off guard.

My first thought was that I’d made an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard something in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Somewhat exasperated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they weren’t mean – I got them to elaborate. Honestly, the description they then gave failed to create significant clarification – I remained with no idea.

What might have caused it to be particularly humorous was the considering gesture I had executed while speaking. I have since found out that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: I meant it to assist in expressing the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

To end the trend I attempt to bring it up as often as I can. No approach deflates a trend like this more thoroughly than an teacher attempting to join in.

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

Knowing about it aids so that you can avoid just unintentionally stating remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the digit pairing is unavoidable, having a firm classroom conduct rules and standards on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any additional interruption, but I rarely needed to implement that. Policies are necessary, but if students embrace what the school is practicing, they’ll be less distracted by the online trends (at least in class periods).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, aside from an occasional raised eyebrow and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer attention to it, it evolves into a blaze. I treat it in the same way I would manage any additional disturbance.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a few years ago, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon following this. It’s what kids do. During my own growing up, it was performing television personalities mimicry (admittedly outside the learning space).

Young people are spontaneous, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a way that redirects them toward the course that will enable them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is completing their studies with academic achievements instead of a conduct report a mile long for the utilization of meaningless numerals.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Students use it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It resembles a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they share. In my view it has any distinct importance to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the current trend is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, though – it’s a warning if they shout it out – identical to any other shouting out is. It’s notably challenging in numeracy instruction. But my students at fifth grade are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite adherent to the regulations, while I recognize that at teen education it may be a distinct scenario.

I’ve been a instructor for a decade and a half, and these phenomena persist for three or four weeks. This craze will diminish in the near future – they always do, especially once their junior family members start saying it and it ceases to be trendy. Afterward they shall be on to the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mostly young men repeating it. I educated teenagers and it was prevalent with the junior students. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon comparable to when I was at school.

These trends are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to occur as often in the educational setting. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the chalkboard in lessons, so pupils were less able to adopt it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to understand them and recognize that it’s simply contemporary trends. In my opinion they simply desire to feel that sense of belonging and companionship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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