‘It’s impossible not to smile’: five UK educators on handling ‘six-seven’ in the school environment

Around the UK, school pupils have been shouting out the words “sixseven” during instruction in the most recent viral trend to take over classrooms.

Whereas some instructors have chosen to stoically ignore the trend, others have incorporated it. Several educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade students about studying for their GCSE exams in June. I can’t remember specifically what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re working to marks six, seven …” and the entire group burst out laughing. It surprised me totally off guard.

My immediate assumption was that I had created an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected a quality in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Somewhat annoyed – but truly interested and mindful that they weren’t trying to be mean – I persuaded them to elaborate. To be honest, the explanation they offered failed to create significant clarification – I still had little comprehension.

What possibly rendered it especially amusing was the evaluating movement I had made while speaking. I have since discovered that this frequently goes with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to help convey the process of me speaking my mind.

In order to eliminate it I aim to bring it up as much as I can. No approach reduces a phenomenon like this more thoroughly than an grown-up attempting to participate.

‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’

Understanding it assists so that you can avoid just unintentionally stating statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is unpreventable, maintaining a firm student discipline system and expectations on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any different disruption, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Guidelines are one thing, but if learners buy into what the educational institution is practicing, they will become better concentrated by the online trends (particularly in lesson time).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, aside from an periodic eyebrow raise and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give oxygen to it, it evolves into a blaze. I address it in the same way I would handle any other disturbance.

Previously existed the mathematical meme craze a while back, and certainly there will appear a different trend subsequently. It’s what kids do. Back when I was growing up, it was performing television personalities impersonations (honestly away from the school environment).

Students are unforeseeable, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to respond in a way that guides them in the direction of the direction that will help them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is coming out with qualifications as opposed to a conduct report extensive for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children use it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: a student calls it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they possess. I believe it has any distinct significance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the current trend is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s banned in my learning environment, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – similar to any additional shouting out is. It’s particularly difficult in mathematics classes. But my students at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re fairly compliant with the rules, whereas I recognize that at high school it may be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a instructor for 15 years, and these phenomena persist for three or four weeks. This phenomenon will fade away shortly – they always do, particularly once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be cool. Afterward they shall be on to 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 young men repeating it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent among the younger pupils. I had no idea its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I was a student.

These trends are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my educational institute, but it failed to occur as often in the classroom. Unlike ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in lessons, so pupils were less able to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, striving to empathise with them and recognize that it’s merely pop culture. I believe they just want to feel that sense of belonging and companionship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

I have performed the {job|profession

Nicholas Richardson
Nicholas Richardson

Elara is a passionate literary critic and avid reader, known for her engaging reviews and deep dives into contemporary fiction and non-fiction works.