‘You just have to laugh’: five UK instructors on dealing with ‘six-seven’ in the classroom

Throughout the UK, school pupils have been shouting out the words ““67” during classes in the latest viral craze to sweep across classrooms.

While some educators have chosen to stoically ignore the craze, different educators have embraced it. Several instructors explain how they’re managing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Earlier in September, I had been addressing my year 11 tutor group about studying for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It caught me totally off guard.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an reference to something rude, or that they’d heard something in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Slightly exasperated – but genuinely curious and aware that they weren’t malicious – I asked them to explain. Frankly speaking, the clarification they provided didn’t make greater understanding – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What possibly caused it to be extra funny was the considering motion I had executed while speaking. I have since discovered that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the act of me speaking my mind.

In order to end the trend I attempt to bring it up as much as I can. No approach reduces a trend like this more effectively than an grown-up trying to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it assists so that you can steer clear of just blundering into remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 million unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unpreventable, having a rock-solid classroom conduct rules and requirements on learner demeanor really helps, as you can deal with it as you would any different disruption, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Rules are important, but if learners accept what the school is implementing, they will become less distracted by the viral phenomena (at least in class periods).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, aside from an periodic eyebrow raise and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide attention to it, it evolves into a blaze. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any other disturbance.

There was the mathematical meme trend a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze after this. This is typical youth activity. During my own growing up, it was performing comedy characters mimicry (admittedly outside the classroom).

Children are unpredictable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to respond in a manner that steers them in the direction of the direction that will help them where they need to go, which, with luck, is coming out with certificates rather than a disciplinary record lengthy for the utilization of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children use it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: a student calls it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the same group. It resembles a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they use. I don’t think it has any distinct significance to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. Whatever the latest craze is, they desire to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, though – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – similar to any other shouting out is. It’s particularly challenging in maths lessons. But my class at fifth grade are pre-teens, so they’re quite accepting of the rules, although I understand that at high school it could be a separate situation.

I’ve been a educator for a decade and a half, and such trends continue for a month or so. This craze will fade away in the near future – this consistently happens, notably once their junior family members commence repeating it and it’s no longer trendy. Subsequently they will be on to the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a language institute. It was primarily boys saying it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread within the younger pupils. I had no idea what it was at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was just a meme similar to when I was at school.

The crazes are continuously evolving. ““Toilet meme” was a well-known trend at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t particularly appear as frequently in the educational setting. Unlike ““67”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in class, so pupils were less prepared to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to relate to them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. In my opinion they merely seek to experience that feeling of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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