‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: a quintet of UK teachers on dealing with ‘six-seven’ in the school environment
Throughout the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the words ““67” during classes in the latest meme-based phenomenon to take over classrooms.
Although some educators have decided to patiently overlook the phenomenon, different educators have embraced it. A group of educators describe 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 preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. I can’t remember specifically what it was in reference to, but I said something like “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It caught me completely by surprise.
My immediate assumption was that I’d made an hint at an offensive subject, or that they detected a quality in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Somewhat annoyed – but genuinely curious and mindful that they weren’t mean – I got them to explain. To be honest, the description they offered failed to create much difference – I continued to have little comprehension.
What possibly made it especially amusing was the weighing-up motion I had performed during speaking. I later discovered that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the act of me verbalizing thoughts.
In order to eliminate it I attempt to reference it as much as I can. No strategy diminishes a trend like this more emphatically than an teacher striving to join in.
‘Providing attention fuels the fire’
Understanding it aids so that you can prevent just accidentally making comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the digit pairing is unpreventable, maintaining a firm school behaviour policy and standards on pupil behavior really helps, as you can sanction it as you would any other disruption, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Guidelines are important, but if pupils buy into what the school is implementing, they will become less distracted by the online trends (particularly in lesson time).
With six-seven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, other than for an infrequent raised eyebrow and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide focus on it, then it becomes an inferno. I treat it in the identical manner I would manage any additional disruption.
There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a while back, and certainly there will appear a new phenomenon subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. When I was youth, it was performing Kevin and Perry impersonations (honestly outside the classroom).
Children are unpredictable, and I think it’s an adult’s job to react in a approach that redirects them toward the path that will help them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is completing their studies with qualifications instead of a conduct report extensive for the use of random numbers.
‘They want to feel a part of a group’
Young learners utilize it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the identical community. It resembles a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an common expression they possess. I believe it has any distinct meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they seek to experience belonging to it.
It’s banned in my classroom, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – similar to any other shouting out is. It’s especially tricky in maths lessons. But my students at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re quite accepting of the guidelines, although I appreciate that at secondary [school] it might be a different matter.
I’ve been a educator for fifteen years, and such trends last for three or four weeks. This trend will die out soon – it invariably occurs, especially once their junior family members start saying it and it ceases to be trendy. Afterward they shall be engaged with the following phenomenon.
‘You just have to laugh with them’
I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was mostly boys repeating it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was common within the younger pupils. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was just a meme comparable to when I attended classes.
The crazes are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t really exist as much in the educational setting. Unlike ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in instruction, so learners were less able to embrace it.
I just ignore it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, striving to relate to them and appreciate that it’s merely contemporary trends. I think they simply desire to experience that feeling of belonging and camaraderie.
‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’
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