‘You just have to laugh’: five UK educators on dealing with ‘‘67’ in the classroom

Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the expression “sixseven” during lessons in the newest viral trend to take over schools.

Whereas some instructors have chosen to patiently overlook the trend, some have embraced it. A group of teachers share how they’re dealing.

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

Back in September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade tutor group about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It caught me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected something in my accent that sounded funny. A bit exasperated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they weren’t trying to be mean – I got them to clarify. To be honest, the explanation they offered didn’t provide much difference – I continued to have no idea.

What could have caused it to be especially amusing was the evaluating gesture I had performed during speaking. I later discovered that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the action of me speaking my mind.

To end the trend I attempt to bring it up as much as I can. No strategy diminishes a trend like this more thoroughly than an adult attempting to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it helps so that you can avoid just accidentally making statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is unpreventable, maintaining a strong classroom conduct rules and requirements on student conduct really helps, as you can deal with it as you would any different interruption, but I rarely needed to implement that. Rules are one thing, but if students embrace what the educational institution is practicing, they’ll be better concentrated by the viral phenomena (especially in instructional hours).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, except for an periodic eyebrow raise and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide oxygen to it, then it becomes a wildfire. I handle it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any other interruption.

There was the mathematical meme phenomenon a previous period, and there will no doubt be another craze subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. When I was growing up, it was performing television personalities impressions (truthfully out of the learning space).

Students are spontaneous, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a manner that guides them back to the direction that will get them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is coming out with qualifications rather than a conduct report extensive for the employment of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners utilize it like a bonding chant in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It’s like a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an agreed language they share. In my view it has any particular significance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. Whatever the newest phenomenon is, they want to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my teaching space, though – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – identical to any other verbal interruption is. It’s especially tricky in numeracy instruction. But my students at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re fairly accepting of the regulations, while I recognize that at high school it may be a different matter.

I have worked as a educator for fifteen years, and these crazes last for three or four weeks. This craze will die out soon – this consistently happens, notably once their junior family members start saying it and it ceases to be cool. Afterward they shall be on to the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was primarily male students saying it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was common within the junior students. I didn’t understand its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly exist as much in the classroom. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in lessons, so learners were less prepared to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, attempting to understand them and understand that it is just contemporary trends. I think they simply desire to feel that sense of community and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

I’ve done the {job|profession

Tara Stevens DVM
Tara Stevens DVM

Elara is a seasoned career coach and writer, passionate about empowering professionals to reach their full potential through actionable advice.