‘It’s impossible not to smile’: five UK teachers on dealing with ‘‘sixseven’ in the school environment
Throughout the UK, students have been exclaiming the phrase “sixseven” during classes in the most recent meme-based craze to sweep across schools.
Although some educators have opted to calmly disregard the craze, some have accepted it. A group of educators explain how they’re dealing.
‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’
Earlier in September, I had been talking to my year 11 class about studying for their qualification tests in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It took me totally off guard.
My first thought was that I might have delivered an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they detected an element of my pronunciation that appeared amusing. A bit exasperated – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t hurtful – I asked them to explain. Honestly, the clarification they provided didn’t provide significant clarification – I continued to have little comprehension.
What possibly rendered it extra funny was the considering gesture I had made while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this often accompanies ““67”: I meant it to help convey the act of me verbalizing thoughts.
In order to eliminate it I try to bring it up as frequently as I can. No approach reduces a phenomenon like this more effectively than an grown-up striving to get involved.
‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’
Being aware of it helps so that you can avoid just blundering into statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the digit pairing is unpreventable, maintaining a strong school behaviour policy and standards on student conduct really helps, as you can deal with it as you would any additional disturbance, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Rules are necessary, but if students embrace what the educational institution is practicing, they will become more focused by the internet crazes (particularly in lesson time).
With 67, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, other than for an infrequent raised eyebrow and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. Should you offer focus on it, then it becomes a wildfire. I handle it in the identical manner I would manage any other interruption.
Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge a different trend after this. It’s what kids do. During my own childhood, it was doing television personalities impersonations (honestly outside the school environment).
Children are spontaneous, and I think it’s an adult’s job to react in a manner that steers them back to the course that will get them toward their academic objectives, which, fingers crossed, is coming out with qualifications rather than a disciplinary record a mile long for the employment of random numbers.
‘Students desire belonging to a community’
The children employ it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: a student calls it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the same group. It resembles a verbal exchange or a football chant – an common expression they use. I don’t think it has any distinct importance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the newest phenomenon is, they seek to experience belonging to it.
It’s forbidden in my teaching space, however – it triggers a reminder if they exclaim it – just like any different verbal interruption is. It’s especially tricky in maths lessons. But my pupils at fifth grade are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite compliant with the rules, whereas I appreciate that at high school it might be a different matter.
I’ve been a educator for 15 years, and such trends last for three or four weeks. This phenomenon will diminish shortly – it invariably occurs, notably once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it’s no longer trendy. Then they’ll be engaged with the subsequent trend.
‘You just have to laugh with them’
I started noticing it in August, while educating in English language at a foreign language school. It was primarily boys uttering it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread among the less experienced learners. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was simply an internet trend similar to when I was at school.
The crazes are always shifting. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my training school, but it failed to occur as often in the classroom. In contrast to ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in class, so pupils were less prepared to pick up on it.
I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to empathise with them and understand that it is just pop culture. I believe they simply desire to experience that feeling of belonging and companionship.
‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’
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