‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: several UK teachers on dealing with ‘six-seven’ in the educational setting

Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the phrase ““six-seven” during classes in the most recent internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across educational institutions.

Whereas some educators have decided to stoically ignore the trend, others have incorporated it. A group of educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my year 11 students about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I had created an reference to an offensive subject, or that they’d heard a quality in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Somewhat exasperated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they had no intention of being mean – I got them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the explanation they then gave didn’t make greater understanding – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What might have caused it to be particularly humorous was the weighing-up gesture I had executed while speaking. I have since discovered that this frequently goes with ““67”: My purpose was it to aid in demonstrating the action of me verbalizing thoughts.

To end the trend I aim to mention it as frequently as I can. No approach diminishes a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an teacher trying to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it helps so that you can prevent just blundering into comments like “well, there were 6, 7 million unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the digit pairing is unpreventable, maintaining a firm school behaviour policy and standards on student conduct really helps, as you can deal with it as you would any additional disturbance, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are necessary, but if learners embrace what the school is doing, they will remain better concentrated by the viral phenomena (at least in instructional hours).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, except for an occasional raised eyebrow and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide focus on it, it evolves into a blaze. I handle it in the identical manner I would handle any other interruption.

There was the mathematical meme craze a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge a different trend following this. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was growing up, it was imitating Kevin and Perry impressions (truthfully out of the learning space).

Children are unpredictable, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a approach that redirects them back to the direction that will enable them where they need to go, which, with luck, is graduating with qualifications instead of a conduct report extensive for the employment of random numbers.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Students employ it like a bonding chant in the playground: one says it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the same group. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they possess. I believe it has any distinct significance to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they want to experience belonging to it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – similar to any other shouting out is. It’s especially tricky in mathematics classes. But my students at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re quite compliant with the regulations, although I appreciate that at teen education it might be a different matter.

I’ve been a educator for 15 years, and such trends persist for three or four weeks. This craze will fade away soon – they always do, especially once their junior family members commence repeating it and it’s no longer fashionable. Subsequently they will be focused on the next thing.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mainly young men repeating it. I taught teenagers and it was prevalent with the junior students. I had no idea its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was simply an internet trend akin to when I attended classes.

Such phenomena are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly exist as much in the learning environment. Differing from “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the whiteboard in lessons, so learners were less able to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to empathise with them and understand that it’s merely contemporary trends. I believe they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of togetherness and friendship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

I have performed the {job|profession