‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: several UK teachers on handling ‘six-seven’ in the school environment
Across the UK, learners have been calling out the expression ““67” during instruction in the newest internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across educational institutions.
Whereas some instructors have chosen to calmly disregard the trend, some have embraced it. Several teachers describe how they’re managing.
‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’
During September, I had been addressing my year 11 class about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.
My initial reaction was that I had created an hint at an offensive subject, or that they perceived something in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. A bit frustrated – but truly interested and mindful that they weren’t malicious – I asked them to clarify. To be honest, the clarification they then gave didn’t make significant clarification – I still had minimal understanding.
What possibly made it particularly humorous was the weighing-up motion I had performed during speaking. I have since learned that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the act of me verbalizing thoughts.
To end the trend I try to mention it as much as I can. No approach reduces a trend like this more thoroughly than an grown-up striving to join in.
‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’
Understanding it helps so that you can avoid just unintentionally stating comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is inevitable, having a rock-solid classroom conduct rules and requirements on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any other disruption, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Guidelines are important, but if students accept what the school is doing, they will remain better concentrated by the internet crazes (at least in lesson time).
Regarding 67, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, other than for an occasional raised eyebrow and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give attention to it, then it becomes an inferno. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any additional disruption.
Earlier occurred the mathematical meme craze a few years ago, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon after this. That’s children’s behavior. During my own childhood, it was doing comedy characters impressions (honestly out of the classroom).
Young people are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a way that guides them in the direction of the direction that will get them toward their academic objectives, which, hopefully, is coming out with qualifications instead of a conduct report extensive for the use of random numbers.
‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’
Young learners utilize it like a unifying phrase in the playground: one says it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the same group. It resembles a call-and-response or a football chant – an agreed language they use. I believe it has any distinct meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they seek to feel part of it.
It’s forbidden in my learning environment, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – just like any different calling out is. It’s notably difficult in numeracy instruction. But my students at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re quite compliant with the regulations, whereas I recognize that at secondary [school] it could be a different matter.
I have served as a educator for 15 years, and these crazes last for three or four weeks. This phenomenon will fade away soon – it invariably occurs, notably once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it’s no longer fashionable. Subsequently they will be focused on the following phenomenon.
‘You just have to laugh with them’
I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mainly young men uttering it. I educated ages 12 to 18 and it was common within the less experienced learners. I was unaware its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was just a meme akin to when I was at school.
Such phenomena are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme back when I was at my educational institute, but it failed to appear as frequently in the classroom. Unlike “six-seven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in lessons, so students were less able to pick up on it.
I typically overlook it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s merely contemporary trends. In my opinion they simply desire to feel that sense of belonging and camaraderie.
‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’
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