‘You just have to laugh’: five UK teachers on coping with ‘six-seven’ in the educational setting
Across the UK, learners have been calling out the words “sixseven” during lessons in the latest meme-based craze to take over classrooms.
Whereas some teachers have decided to patiently overlook the trend, others have incorporated it. Five teachers describe how they’re coping.
‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’
During September, I had been talking to my year 11 tutor group about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It surprised me totally off guard.
My initial reaction was that I might have delivered an hint at an offensive subject, or that they perceived a quality in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. Somewhat annoyed – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they had no intention of being malicious – I persuaded them to elaborate. To be honest, the explanation they then gave didn’t provide greater understanding – I continued to have minimal understanding.
What could have caused it to be particularly humorous was the evaluating gesture I had made while speaking. I later found out that this frequently goes with ““67”: My purpose was it to aid in demonstrating the process of me thinking aloud.
To kill it off I aim to reference it as often as I can. No strategy diminishes a trend like this more effectively than an adult attempting to join in.
‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’
Knowing about it aids so that you can avoid just blundering into comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is inevitable, possessing a strong student discipline system and requirements on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any different interruption, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Guidelines are necessary, but if students embrace what the educational institution is implementing, they’ll be less distracted by the internet crazes (particularly in lesson time).
Concerning six-seven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, aside from an occasional eyebrow raise and saying “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give oxygen to it, it evolves into an inferno. I treat it in the identical manner I would manage any other interruption.
There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a while back, and certainly there will appear another craze subsequently. It’s what kids do. When I was childhood, it was doing Kevin and Perry mimicry (truthfully away from the learning space).
Young people are unpredictable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to react in a manner that guides them toward the course that will enable them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is graduating with certificates rather than a conduct report extensive for the utilization of random numbers.
‘They want to feel a part of a group’
Students use it like a bonding chant in the schoolyard: a student calls it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It’s like a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they share. In my view it has any specific meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the latest craze is, they want to experience belonging to it.
It’s forbidden in my classroom, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they call it out – just like any other calling out is. It’s especially difficult in mathematics classes. But my pupils at fifth grade are pre-teens, so they’re fairly compliant with the rules, while I recognize that at teen education it might be a distinct scenario.
I have served as a educator for 15 years, and these phenomena last for a month or so. This phenomenon will diminish shortly – it invariably occurs, especially once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it ceases to be fashionable. Then they’ll be on to the next thing.
‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’
I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was mainly boys repeating it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent within the less experienced learners. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was simply an internet trend akin to when I attended classes.
Such phenomena are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the learning environment. Differing from ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was never written on the board in class, so students were less prepared to adopt it.
I just ignore it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I inadvertently mention it, trying to relate to them and understand that it is just contemporary trends. I believe they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of belonging and friendship.
‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’
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