‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: five UK instructors on handling ‘six-seven’ in the educational setting

Throughout the UK, students have been calling out the phrase “sixseven” during lessons in the newest viral phenomenon to sweep across educational institutions.

Although some teachers have decided to calmly disregard the phenomenon, others have embraced it. Five teachers share how they’re managing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade class about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group burst out laughing. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I had created an hint at something rude, or that they perceived something in my accent that appeared amusing. Slightly annoyed – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t mean – I persuaded them to explain. Honestly, the description they provided didn’t provide significant clarification – I remained with minimal understanding.

What might have made it especially amusing was the weighing-up motion I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this frequently goes with ““67”: I had intended it to help convey the action of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to end the trend I try to reference it as often as I can. Nothing reduces a trend like this more emphatically than an adult striving to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it helps so that you can prevent just blundering into statements like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the number combination is unpreventable, possessing a strong classroom conduct rules and requirements on student conduct really helps, as you can sanction it as you would any different interruption, but I rarely needed to implement that. Policies are one thing, but if learners buy into what the school is doing, they’ll be more focused by the online trends (at least in instructional hours).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t lost any lesson time, except for an occasional raised eyebrow and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide focus on it, then it becomes a wildfire. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any other interruption.

Earlier occurred the mathematical meme phenomenon a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a different trend after this. It’s what kids do. When I was youth, it was doing Kevin and Perry mimicry (honestly outside the learning space).

Young people are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to react in a manner that guides them toward the direction that will help them toward their academic objectives, which, with luck, is graduating with certificates as opposed to a behaviour list extensive for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners employ it like a connecting expression in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they share. In my view it has any particular meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. No matter what the current trend is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they shout it out – identical to any additional calling out is. It’s particularly challenging in maths lessons. But my students at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively adherent to the guidelines, although I understand that at secondary [school] it may be a separate situation.

I have served as a teacher for fifteen years, and such trends persist for a month or so. This phenomenon will die out in the near future – it invariably occurs, especially once their little brothers and sisters begin using it and it’s no longer trendy. Subsequently they will be on to the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a foreign language school. It was primarily male students uttering it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread within the junior students. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was just a meme akin to when I attended classes.

Such phenomena are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my training school, but it failed to exist as much in the learning environment. Unlike ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the chalkboard in instruction, so students were less prepared to adopt it.

I just ignore it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to understand them and appreciate that it’s simply contemporary trends. In my opinion they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of community and friendship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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