‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: a quintet of UK teachers on handling ‘‘sixseven’ in the school environment

Across the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the expression “sixseven” during instruction in the latest internet-inspired trend to take over schools.

Although some educators have chosen to calmly disregard the trend, others have incorporated it. Several instructors explain how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade class about preparing for their qualification tests in June. I can’t remember specifically what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the complete classroom started chuckling. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I might have delivered an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected an element of my pronunciation that seemed humorous. Slightly frustrated – but truly interested and aware that they weren’t hurtful – I got them to elaborate. Honestly, the clarification they provided didn’t make greater understanding – I still had minimal understanding.

What possibly rendered it particularly humorous was the evaluating motion I had performed during speaking. I later learned that this frequently goes with ““67”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the process of me speaking my mind.

With the aim of kill it off I aim to bring it up as frequently as I can. No approach reduces a phenomenon like this more effectively than an grown-up attempting to participate.

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

Knowing about it aids so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unavoidable, having a rock-solid classroom conduct rules and requirements on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any other disruption, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if students embrace what the learning environment is doing, they will remain better concentrated by the viral phenomena (especially in class periods).

With 67, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, other than for an infrequent quizzical look and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. If you give focus on it, it transforms into a wildfire. I handle it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any other interruption.

Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze following this. That’s children’s behavior. Back when I was youth, it was doing comedy characters impressions (admittedly out of the school environment).

Young people are unpredictable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to respond in a way that steers them in the direction of the course that will enable them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with certificates as opposed to a behaviour list extensive for the employment of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Students use it like a bonding chant in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to demonstrate they belong to the same group. It resembles a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an common expression they use. In my view it has any particular importance to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, however – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – identical to any additional shouting out is. It’s particularly difficult in mathematics classes. But my pupils at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re quite accepting of the guidelines, while I understand that at teen education it may be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a educator for 15 years, and these crazes continue for a month or so. This trend will fade away in the near future – this consistently happens, particularly once their little brothers and sisters begin using it and it’s no longer fashionable. Afterward they shall be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I started noticing it in August, while educating in English language at a foreign language school. It was primarily male students uttering it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was prevalent within the less experienced learners. I had no idea its significance at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to occur as often in the educational setting. Differing from ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the chalkboard in instruction, so students were less equipped to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I accidentally say it, attempting to empathise with them and recognize that it’s merely pop culture. I believe they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of community and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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John Rivera
John Rivera

A passionate game strategist and writer, sharing insights from years of competitive play and game design.