‘It’s impossible not to smile’: several UK teachers on dealing with ‘six-seven’ in the classroom
Throughout the UK, learners have been shouting out the expression ““six-seven” during classes in the latest viral phenomenon to spread through educational institutions.
While some educators have chosen to patiently overlook the phenomenon, others have incorporated it. Five teachers explain how they’re dealing.
‘I thought I had said something rude’
During September, I had been speaking with my year 11 tutor group about getting ready for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in relation to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It caught me completely by surprise.
My first thought was that I’d made an reference to something rude, or that they perceived something in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Slightly exasperated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they had no intention of being hurtful – I persuaded them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the clarification they then gave didn’t make greater understanding – I continued to have no idea.
What could have made it extra funny was the weighing-up motion I had performed during speaking. Subsequently I found out that this typically pairs with ““67”: I had intended it to assist in expressing the act of me speaking my mind.
With the aim of kill it off I aim to reference it as frequently as I can. Nothing diminishes a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an adult attempting to join in.
‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’
Knowing about it assists so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 thousand jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is inevitable, having a rock-solid school behaviour policy and expectations on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any other disruption, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Guidelines are one thing, but if students embrace what the school is doing, they’ll be better concentrated by the online trends (especially in lesson time).
Concerning six-seven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, aside from an periodic raised eyebrow and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide attention to it, it evolves into a blaze. I handle it in the identical manner I would manage any other interruption.
Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a previous period, and certainly there will appear a different trend subsequently. This is typical youth activity. When I was growing up, it was imitating comedy characters impersonations (admittedly outside the learning space).
Young people are unpredictable, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a way that redirects them toward the course that will enable them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is completing their studies with qualifications as opposed to a behaviour list extensive for the utilization of meaningless numerals.
‘Students desire belonging to a community’
Young learners utilize it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: one says it and the remaining students reply to demonstrate they belong to the identical community. It resembles a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an common expression they possess. In my view it has any particular importance to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they desire to experience belonging to it.
It’s prohibited in my learning environment, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – identical to any other shouting out is. It’s notably challenging in maths lessons. But my pupils at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively accepting of the regulations, while I appreciate that at high school it may be a distinct scenario.
I have worked as a teacher for 15 years, and these phenomena persist for a month or so. This trend will die out soon – it invariably occurs, particularly once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be fashionable. Afterward they shall be engaged with the following phenomenon.
‘You just have to laugh with them’
I started noticing it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was primarily young men saying it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread among the younger pupils. I had no idea its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was simply an internet trend similar to when I was a student.
These trends are constantly changing. ““Skibidi” was a well-known trend back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the learning environment. In contrast to ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the board in lessons, so students were less prepared to embrace it.
I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I accidentally say it, striving to empathise with them and understand that it’s merely pop culture. I believe they simply desire to feel that sense of belonging and camaraderie.
‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’
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