‘You just have to laugh’: five UK teachers on dealing with ‘‘67’ in the classroom
Throughout the UK, school pupils have been shouting out the phrase “sixseven” during lessons in the latest viral trend to take over schools.
While some instructors have decided to patiently overlook the phenomenon, different educators have incorporated it. Several educators share how they’re dealing.
‘My initial assumption was that I’d uttered something offensive’
Back in September, I had been addressing my secondary school tutor group about preparing for their qualification tests in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the complete classroom started chuckling. It took me completely by surprise.
My immediate assumption was that I’d made an allusion to an offensive subject, or that they detected an element of my speech pattern that sounded funny. Somewhat frustrated – but honestly intrigued and aware that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I asked them to explain. Frankly speaking, the clarification they provided failed to create greater understanding – I still had minimal understanding.
What could have caused it to be especially amusing was the weighing-up movement I had executed while speaking. I later discovered that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: I had intended it to assist in expressing the action of me verbalizing thoughts.
With the aim of eliminate it I aim to mention it as much as I can. Nothing reduces a trend like this more effectively than an teacher trying to get involved.
‘Providing attention fuels the fire’
Being aware of it assists so that you can prevent just accidentally making remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. If the numerical sequence is inevitable, maintaining a firm school behaviour policy and expectations on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any other interruption, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Guidelines are necessary, but if pupils buy into what the educational institution is implementing, they’ll be less distracted by the viral phenomena (especially in class periods).
Regarding sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, other than for an periodic quizzical look and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide oxygen to it, then it becomes a wildfire. I treat it in the identical manner I would handle any other interruption.
Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one phenomenon a few years ago, and there will no doubt be another craze following this. It’s what kids do. Back when I was youth, it was imitating Kevin and Perry impersonations (truthfully out of the learning space).
Young people are unforeseeable, and I believe it falls to the teacher to respond in a way that redirects them back to the course that will help them toward their academic objectives, which, with luck, is coming out with certificates as opposed to a behaviour list lengthy for the use of random numbers.
‘They want to feel a part of a group’
Students employ it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to show they are the equivalent circle. It’s like a verbal exchange or a football chant – an common expression they possess. In my view it has any distinct meaning to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they desire to feel part of it.
It’s banned in my classroom, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – just like any additional verbal interruption is. It’s notably difficult in mathematics classes. But my pupils at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re fairly adherent to the rules, while I appreciate that at teen education it could be a different matter.
I’ve been a teacher for 15 years, and such trends persist for a few weeks. This craze will fade away in the near future – this consistently happens, particularly once their younger siblings start saying it and it ceases to be cool. Subsequently they will be focused on the next thing.
‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’
I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mostly male students uttering it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was common within the junior students. I had no idea what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was just a meme akin to when I was a student.
Such phenomena are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really occur as often in the classroom. In contrast to “six-seven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the board in lessons, so pupils were less able to adopt it.
I typically overlook it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I inadvertently mention it, trying to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s merely pop culture. I believe they merely seek to experience that feeling of togetherness and camaraderie.
‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’
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