‘You just have to laugh’: a quintet of UK educators on handling ‘‘sixseven’ in the classroom

Across the UK, learners have been exclaiming the words ““six-seven” during instruction in the most recent internet-inspired craze to sweep across classrooms.

Whereas some teachers have chosen to calmly disregard the phenomenon, some have incorporated it. Several teachers explain how they’re managing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been addressing my year 11 tutor group about preparing for their qualification tests in June. I can’t remember precisely what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an hint at an offensive subject, or that they’d heard something in my pronunciation that seemed humorous. Slightly frustrated – but truly interested and mindful that they weren’t malicious – I got them to explain. Honestly, the description they provided didn’t provide greater understanding – I remained with no idea.

What could have made it especially amusing was the weighing-up movement I had made while speaking. I later found out that this frequently goes with ““67”: I had intended it to assist in expressing the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

To kill it off I aim to reference it as frequently as I can. Nothing diminishes a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an adult attempting to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it assists so that you can prevent just accidentally making remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is inevitable, maintaining a firm student discipline system and requirements on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any additional interruption, but I rarely been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if students embrace what the educational institution is implementing, they will become better concentrated by the internet crazes (especially in instructional hours).

Concerning 67, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, other than for an infrequent eyebrow raise and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes a blaze. I handle it in the same way I would handle any additional disturbance.

Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge a different trend following this. It’s what kids do. When I was youth, it was doing comedy characters mimicry (truthfully away from the classroom).

Children are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to respond in a approach that guides them back to the direction that will get them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with qualifications rather than a disciplinary record extensive for the employment of random numbers.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

The children employ it like a bonding chant in the playground: one says it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It’s like a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they possess. I don’t think it has any specific importance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the current trend is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, though – it results in a caution if they call it out – just like any other shouting out is. It’s particularly difficult in mathematics classes. But my class at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively adherent to the rules, although I understand that at high school it might be a different matter.

I have worked as a teacher for fifteen years, and these phenomena continue for a few weeks. This trend will fade away shortly – it invariably occurs, notably once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it stops being fashionable. Afterward they shall be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mostly male students repeating it. I instructed teenagers and it was common within the junior students. I was unaware what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I was at school.

These trends are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my training school, but it failed to appear as frequently in the classroom. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the whiteboard in class, so learners were less able to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I inadvertently mention it, striving to relate to them and recognize that it’s merely pop culture. I believe they just want to enjoy that sensation of belonging and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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Jennifer Woods
Jennifer Woods

An avid hiker and environmental writer sharing insights from global trails and sustainable living practices.

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