‘You just have to laugh’: several UK instructors on dealing with ‘‘67’ in the classroom
Around the UK, students have been exclaiming the words “sixseven” during classes in the newest internet-inspired craze to take over schools.
Whereas some teachers have decided to calmly disregard the trend, others have incorporated it. Several educators explain how they’re managing.
‘I thought I had said something rude’
During September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade students about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in reference to, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.
My first thought was that I’d made an hint at an offensive subject, or that they’d heard something in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. A bit frustrated – but honestly intrigued and aware that they had no intention of being mean – I persuaded them to explain. To be honest, the description they offered didn’t make significant clarification – I still had minimal understanding.
What could have rendered it especially amusing was the weighing-up movement I had made while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the process of me thinking aloud.
To eliminate it I try to bring it up as much as I can. Nothing diminishes a craze like this more thoroughly than an adult trying to join in.
‘Providing attention fuels the fire’
Understanding it assists so that you can steer clear of just blundering into statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unpreventable, having a strong school behaviour policy and standards on pupil behavior really helps, as you can sanction it as you would any additional disruption, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Policies are one thing, but if pupils buy into what the school is practicing, they will become less distracted by the internet crazes (especially in lesson time).
Concerning six-seven, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, aside from an occasional raised eyebrow and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide focus on it, it evolves into a blaze. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any different disruption.
Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a different trend following this. This is typical youth activity. When I was growing up, it was performing comedy characters mimicry (honestly outside the school environment).
Children are unforeseeable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to respond in a approach that guides them in the direction of the path that will enable them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is coming out with certificates instead of a disciplinary record lengthy for the employment of arbitrary digits.
‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’
Young learners employ it like a bonding chant in the schoolyard: one says it and the other children answer to show they are the same group. It resembles a verbal exchange or a football chant – an shared vocabulary they share. I don’t think it has any distinct importance to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. No matter what the current trend is, they seek to experience belonging to it.
It’s forbidden in my learning environment, nevertheless – it’s a warning if they shout it out – just like any other verbal interruption is. It’s especially tricky in mathematics classes. But my students at fifth grade are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re quite compliant with the guidelines, while I appreciate that at teen education it might be a separate situation.
I have worked as a teacher for a decade and a half, and these crazes persist for three or four weeks. This trend will die out in the near future – they always do, especially once their younger siblings begin using it and it’s no longer cool. Then they’ll be on to the next thing.
‘You just have to laugh with them’
I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mostly young men saying it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was common among the younger pupils. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was just a meme comparable to when I was a student.
The crazes are continuously evolving. ““Skibidi” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my training school, but it failed to occur as often in the educational setting. Unlike ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in instruction, so pupils were less prepared to pick up on it.
I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to relate to them and understand that it is just youth culture. In my opinion they just want to feel that sense of community and camaraderie.
‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’
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