‘It’s impossible not to smile’: several UK teachers on handling ‘six-seven’ in the classroom

Around the UK, school pupils have been calling out the phrase ““six-seven” during instruction in the latest internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across educational institutions.

While some educators have decided to calmly disregard the trend, others have embraced it. Five instructors share how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade class about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It caught me completely by surprise.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an hint at something rude, or that they detected something in my speech pattern that sounded funny. Somewhat exasperated – but genuinely curious and mindful that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I got them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the explanation they then gave didn’t provide greater understanding – I still had little comprehension.

What might have made it especially amusing was the evaluating gesture I had made while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this frequently goes with “six-seven”: I meant it to assist in expressing the act of me speaking my mind.

To end the trend I aim to mention it as much as I can. No approach deflates a craze like this more thoroughly than an grown-up trying to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it assists so that you can steer clear of just blundering into remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unpreventable, having a firm school behaviour policy and requirements on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any other disturbance, but I rarely needed to implement that. Policies are necessary, but if learners embrace what the school is implementing, they will become better concentrated by the internet crazes (particularly in lesson time).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, except for an infrequent quizzical look and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. If you give attention to it, then it becomes a wildfire. I treat it in the identical manner I would manage any different disturbance.

There was the mathematical meme trend a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze after this. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was youth, it was imitating comedy characters impersonations (honestly outside the learning space).

Young people are unforeseeable, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a way that redirects them in the direction of the path that will get them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is coming out with academic achievements rather than a conduct report lengthy for the utilization of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

The children utilize it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to demonstrate they belong to the same group. It resembles a verbal exchange or a football chant – an agreed language they possess. In my view it has any distinct significance to them; they just know it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what the newest phenomenon is, they seek to feel part of it.

It’s banned in my classroom, though – it’s a warning if they call it out – just like any additional shouting out is. It’s especially difficult in maths lessons. But my students at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively accepting of the regulations, although I appreciate that at teen education it could be a distinct scenario.

I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and these phenomena persist for a few weeks. This trend will die out shortly – this consistently happens, notably once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it ceases to be trendy. Then they’ll be on to the next thing.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mainly boys repeating it. I educated ages 12 to 18 and it was common with the junior students. I was unaware its significance at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my educational institute, but it failed to exist as much in the educational setting. Unlike ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in lessons, so students were less equipped to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to understand them and understand that it is just contemporary trends. In my opinion they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of togetherness and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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