‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: a quintet of UK educators on dealing with ‘‘sixseven’ in the classroom

Across the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the expression “sixseven” during instruction in the latest viral phenomenon to spread through classrooms.

Although some teachers have chosen to patiently overlook the trend, different educators have embraced it. Several teachers share how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Earlier in September, I had been speaking with my secondary school students about studying for their qualification tests in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I had created an hint at something rude, or that they’d heard an element of my speech pattern that sounded funny. Slightly frustrated – but truly interested and conscious that they had no intention of being hurtful – I persuaded them to explain. Honestly, the explanation they then gave didn’t provide greater understanding – I still had little comprehension.

What could have made it especially amusing was the considering gesture I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the act of me speaking my mind.

In order to end the trend I aim to bring it up as often as I can. Nothing deflates a phenomenon like this more thoroughly than an adult attempting to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it assists so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating statements like “well, there were 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is inevitable, maintaining a strong school behaviour policy and expectations on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any additional interruption, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Policies are necessary, but if pupils buy into what the learning environment is doing, they will become better concentrated by the viral phenomena (particularly in class periods).

With 67, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, aside from an periodic quizzical look and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide attention to it, it transforms into a blaze. I handle it in the identical manner I would treat any additional disruption.

Earlier occurred the mathematical meme craze a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon after this. This is typical youth activity. During my own growing up, it was doing comedy characters impressions (honestly out of the learning space).

Young people are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to behave in a way that steers them in the direction of the direction that will help them where they need to go, which, with luck, is coming out with qualifications instead of a behaviour list a mile long for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students employ it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: one says it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an agreed language they possess. In my view it has any particular importance to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what the current trend is, they desire to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, nevertheless – it’s a warning if they call it out – similar to any additional verbal interruption is. It’s especially difficult in mathematics classes. But my pupils at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite compliant with the guidelines, whereas I recognize that at secondary [school] it could be a separate situation.

I’ve been a instructor for 15 years, and such trends last for a month or so. This trend will diminish shortly – they always do, particularly once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be trendy. Then they’ll be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mostly male students repeating it. I instructed students from twelve to eighteen and it was common with 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 akin to when I was at school.

These trends are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my educational institute, but it failed to exist as much in the classroom. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““the skibidi trend” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in class, so learners were less able to adopt it.

I just ignore it, or sometimes I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to relate to them and appreciate that it’s simply contemporary trends. I believe they just want to enjoy that sensation of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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