🔗 Share this article

Across the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the expression ““six-seven” during instruction in the most recent meme-based craze to sweep across schools.

Whereas some teachers have decided to calmly disregard the craze, different educators have incorporated it. Several instructors describe how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade students about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. I can’t remember specifically what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I had created an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived an element of my accent that seemed humorous. Somewhat exasperated – but truly interested and conscious that they weren’t malicious – I persuaded them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the description they provided didn’t provide much difference – I still had minimal understanding.

What possibly rendered it extra funny was the weighing-up movement I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this often accompanies “six-seven”: My purpose was it to help convey the action of me thinking aloud.

To end the trend I attempt to bring it up as frequently as I can. Nothing diminishes a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an grown-up trying to get involved.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it assists so that you can avoid just blundering into comments like “well, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is inevitable, possessing a firm school behaviour policy and expectations on pupil behavior really helps, as you can sanction it as you would any different disturbance, but I rarely been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if students accept what the learning environment is implementing, they will become less distracted by the online trends (especially in instructional hours).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any instructional minutes, except for an periodic raised eyebrow and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer attention to it, it transforms into a blaze. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any different disruption.

There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one phenomenon a few years ago, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon after this. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was growing up, it was imitating comedy characters mimicry (honestly outside the learning space).

Young people are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to react in a approach that redirects them in the direction of the course that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, fingers crossed, is coming out with academic achievements rather than a disciplinary record extensive for the employment of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children use it like a connecting expression in the playground: a student calls it and the others respond to show they are the same group. It resembles a call-and-response or a football chant – an shared vocabulary they possess. I don’t think it has any particular importance to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the current trend is, they want to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my teaching space, however – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – similar to any other calling out is. It’s particularly tricky in maths lessons. But my class at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re relatively adherent to the regulations, whereas I recognize that at secondary [school] it could be a separate situation.

I’ve been a instructor for 15 years, and these crazes continue for three or four weeks. This craze will diminish in the near future – they always do, especially once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it stops being trendy. Afterward they shall be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a foreign language school. It was mainly young men repeating it. I educated teenagers and it was common within the less experienced learners. I was unaware its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was just a meme similar to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon back when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the classroom. Differing from ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in class, so pupils were less able to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to understand them and recognize that it is just pop culture. I believe they merely seek to experience that feeling of community and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

I have worked in the {job|profession