‘It’s impossible not to smile’: five UK teachers on handling ‘‘sixseven’ in the educational setting

Around the UK, students have been calling out the words “sixseven” during lessons in the most recent internet-inspired craze to take over schools.

Whereas some educators have opted to calmly disregard the phenomenon, different educators have embraced it. Five instructors explain how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been speaking with my secondary school class about getting ready for their qualification tests in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the complete classroom started chuckling. It took me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I had created an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived an element of my accent that sounded funny. Somewhat exasperated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they weren’t trying to be mean – I asked them to clarify. To be honest, the description they provided didn’t make greater understanding – I remained with little comprehension.

What could have rendered it particularly humorous was the evaluating movement I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this frequently goes with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to help convey the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to eliminate it I attempt to reference it as frequently as I can. No approach reduces a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an adult attempting to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it assists so that you can steer clear of just blundering into comments like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is inevitable, having a firm school behaviour policy and requirements on student conduct is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any other interruption, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Rules are necessary, but if students buy into what the school is doing, they will become better concentrated by the viral phenomena (particularly in lesson time).

With 67, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, aside from an periodic quizzical look and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give attention to it, it transforms into a wildfire. I handle it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any additional disruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon following this. This is typical youth activity. During my own growing up, it was performing comedy characters impersonations (honestly away from the classroom).

Young people are unpredictable, and I believe it falls to the teacher to react in a approach that steers them back to the direction that will help them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is coming out with qualifications instead of a conduct report lengthy for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners use it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: one says it and the remaining students reply to show they are the identical community. It resembles a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they share. I believe it has any specific importance to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, though – it results in a caution if they call it out – just like any other verbal interruption is. It’s especially difficult in mathematics classes. But my students at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re relatively accepting of the guidelines, whereas I understand that at high school it may be a different matter.

I have worked as a educator for a decade and a half, and these crazes persist for three or four weeks. This trend will fade away soon – it invariably occurs, especially once their little brothers and sisters begin using it and it ceases to be trendy. Afterward they shall be on to the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mostly boys repeating it. I educated ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent among the less experienced learners. I was unaware its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was simply an internet trend similar to when I was at school.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really occur as often in the educational setting. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the chalkboard in class, so learners were less prepared to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, trying to understand them and appreciate that it’s merely contemporary trends. I think they simply desire to feel that sense of belonging and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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