‘It’s impossible not to smile’: five UK educators on handling ‘‘sixseven’ in the school environment

Around the UK, school pupils have been shouting out the words ““67” during lessons in the most recent viral craze to spread through schools.

While some educators have opted to patiently overlook the craze, different educators have incorporated it. Several instructors describe how they’re managing.

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

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade tutor group about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re working to results six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me completely by surprise.

My immediate assumption was that I might have delivered an hint at an offensive subject, or that they’d heard an element of my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Somewhat frustrated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they weren’t mean – I persuaded them to explain. Frankly speaking, the description they offered didn’t make 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 frequently goes with “six-seven”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the action of me verbalizing thoughts.

With the aim of eliminate it I aim to bring it up as frequently as I can. No approach reduces a craze like this more thoroughly than an adult attempting to get involved.

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

Being aware of it assists so that you can prevent just blundering into comments like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the digit pairing is unavoidable, maintaining a firm classroom conduct rules and requirements on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any other disturbance, but I rarely needed to implement that. Policies are necessary, but if students embrace what the educational institution is implementing, they’ll be more focused by the online trends (at least in lesson time).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, aside from an occasional quizzical look and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide oxygen to it, it evolves into a wildfire. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would manage any additional disturbance.

Earlier occurred the mathematical meme trend a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon after this. That’s children’s behavior. When I was youth, it was doing comedy characters impressions (admittedly out of the learning space).

Young people are unpredictable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to behave in a way that redirects them toward the course that will enable them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with certificates as opposed to a disciplinary record a mile long for the utilization of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students utilize it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the identical community. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they possess. I don’t think it has any distinct importance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. Whatever the current trend is, they desire to feel part of it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – similar to any additional shouting out is. It’s notably challenging in numeracy instruction. But my pupils at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively compliant with the regulations, whereas I recognize that at high school it might be a distinct scenario.

I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and these phenomena last for three or four weeks. This trend will die out soon – this consistently happens, particularly once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be fashionable. Subsequently they will be on to the following phenomenon.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mainly boys saying it. I educated teenagers and it was prevalent within the junior students. I was unaware what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was just a meme akin to when I was at school.

The crazes are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme back when I was at my training school, but it failed to occur as often in the classroom. In contrast to ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the chalkboard in lessons, so pupils were less able to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to empathise with them and recognize that it’s merely youth culture. In my opinion they just want to feel that sense of community and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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