‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: several UK instructors on dealing with ‘‘sixseven’ in the classroom

Around the UK, school pupils have been shouting out the words “sixseven” during instruction in the newest internet-inspired trend to sweep across classrooms.

Whereas some educators have chosen to stoically ignore the craze, some have accepted it. A group of educators explain how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been addressing my year 11 tutor group about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in relation to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It took me completely by surprise.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected an element of my speech pattern that sounded funny. Somewhat frustrated – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t trying to be mean – I asked them to explain. To be honest, the description they offered didn’t provide much difference – I still had little comprehension.

What might have rendered it especially amusing was the considering motion I had made while speaking. I have since discovered that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the process of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to end the trend I try to reference it as much as I can. No approach reduces a phenomenon like this more thoroughly than an teacher striving to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it helps so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is unavoidable, maintaining a firm school behaviour policy and standards on learner demeanor really helps, as you can address it as you would any additional interruption, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Rules are one thing, but if learners accept what the learning environment is practicing, they will remain more focused by the online trends (particularly in lesson time).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, other than for an periodic quizzical look and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. Should you offer focus on it, it transforms into an inferno. I treat it in the same way I would treat any additional disruption.

There was the mathematical meme craze a while back, and there will no doubt be a different trend subsequently. It’s what kids do. When I was youth, it was imitating Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly out of the school environment).

Students are unforeseeable, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a approach that redirects them back to the course that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, with luck, is coming out with certificates rather than a behaviour list a mile long for the utilization of meaningless numerals.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners utilize it like a bonding chant in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the identical community. It resembles a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an common expression they possess. I believe it has any distinct meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the newest phenomenon is, they want to be included in it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, however – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – similar to any additional calling out is. It’s notably difficult in maths lessons. But my class at fifth grade are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite adherent to the guidelines, while I recognize that at teen education it could be a different matter.

I’ve been a educator for a decade and a half, and these phenomena continue for a few weeks. This trend will diminish in the near future – it invariably occurs, especially once their little brothers and sisters begin using it and it ceases to be fashionable. Subsequently they will be focused on the following phenomenon.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mainly boys repeating it. I taught teenagers and it was prevalent within the younger pupils. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was simply an internet trend similar to when I was at school.

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 occur as often in the classroom. Differing from ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was never written on the chalkboard in instruction, so pupils were less able to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, striving to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply contemporary trends. I think they merely seek to experience that feeling of community and companionship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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Donald Hutchinson
Donald Hutchinson

A seasoned streamer and digital content creator with over a decade of experience in building online communities.