‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: five UK educators on handling ‘‘67’ in the school environment

Throughout the UK, learners have been calling out the expression ““six-seven” during instruction in the most recent meme-based trend to sweep across classrooms.

While some instructors have chosen to stoically ignore the craze, others have accepted it. A group of educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade students about preparing for their qualification tests in June. I can’t remember precisely what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It took me completely by surprise.

My immediate assumption was that I had created an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived a quality in my speech pattern that sounded funny. Slightly annoyed – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t malicious – I got them to elaborate. To be honest, the description they provided didn’t provide greater understanding – I continued to have little comprehension.

What could have caused it to be especially amusing was the weighing-up motion I had executed while speaking. I have since found out that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to help convey the act of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of kill it off I attempt to reference it as much as I can. No approach reduces a trend like this more thoroughly than an grown-up trying to join in.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Knowing about it helps so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating comments like “well, there were 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unpreventable, having a strong classroom conduct rules and standards on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any other disruption, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Guidelines are necessary, but if learners embrace what the educational institution is practicing, they’ll be more focused by the internet crazes (especially in instructional hours).

Regarding 67, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, other than for an periodic quizzical look and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give attention to it, it transforms into a wildfire. I treat it in the identical manner I would manage any additional disruption.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a previous period, and there will no doubt be another craze subsequently. This is typical youth activity. When I was childhood, it was imitating Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly outside the school environment).

Children are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to behave in a approach that redirects them toward the path that will help them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is graduating with certificates instead of a behaviour list extensive for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children utilize it like a connecting expression in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to show they are the equivalent circle. It’s similar to a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they share. I believe it has any particular meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. No matter what the current trend is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – identical to any additional calling out is. It’s particularly difficult in maths lessons. But my class at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively adherent to the guidelines, while I recognize that at high school it may be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a instructor for a decade and a half, and these crazes persist for three or four weeks. This trend will diminish in the near future – they always do, particularly once their younger siblings start saying it and it stops being fashionable. Then they’ll be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mainly boys saying it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was common within the junior students. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was just a meme akin to when I was at school.

These trends are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really exist as much in the classroom. Differing from ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the whiteboard in lessons, so pupils were less prepared to embrace it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, striving to understand them and recognize that it is just contemporary trends. I believe they simply desire to experience that feeling of togetherness and companionship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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Jennifer Osborn
Jennifer Osborn

A passionate game developer and educator with over a decade of experience in creating immersive digital experiences.