‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: a quintet of UK teachers on coping with ‘six-seven’ in the school environment

Throughout the UK, students have been shouting out the expression ““67” during instruction in the latest viral phenomenon to spread through schools.

Although some educators have opted to patiently overlook the craze, different educators have incorporated it. Several teachers describe how they’re managing.

‘My initial assumption was that I’d uttered something offensive’

During September, I had been speaking with my year 11 class about getting ready for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an hint at an offensive subject, or that they perceived a quality in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Slightly annoyed – but genuinely curious and mindful that they weren’t hurtful – I got them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the description they then gave didn’t make greater understanding – I still had little comprehension.

What might have rendered it especially amusing was the weighing-up movement I had performed during speaking. I have since discovered that this often accompanies ““67”: My purpose was it to help convey the act of me thinking aloud.

In order to end the trend I aim to reference it as frequently as I can. Nothing reduces a trend like this more effectively than an adult striving 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 statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unpreventable, having a rock-solid student discipline system and requirements on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any other disturbance, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Guidelines are one thing, but if learners accept what the educational institution is implementing, they will become less distracted by the internet crazes (especially in lesson time).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, except for an infrequent eyebrow raise and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer focus on it, it transforms into a wildfire. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any additional disturbance.

Previously existed the nine plus ten equals twenty-one trend a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge a different trend following this. That’s children’s behavior. Back when I was childhood, it was performing television personalities impressions (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 in the direction of the direction that will enable them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is completing their studies with academic achievements rather than a behaviour list extensive for the utilization of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners employ it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: one says it and the others respond to show they are the equivalent circle. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they use. In my view it has any particular meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Whatever the current trend is, they seek to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my teaching space, though – it results in a caution if they call it out – identical to any different verbal interruption is. It’s notably tricky in mathematics classes. But my class at year 5 are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re quite adherent to the rules, while I recognize that at high school it may be a separate situation.

I have served as a educator for fifteen years, and these crazes continue for three or four weeks. This trend will die out shortly – they always do, particularly once their little brothers and sisters start saying it and it stops being trendy. Afterward they shall be focused on the following phenomenon.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I started noticing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was primarily boys uttering it. I instructed teenagers and it was prevalent within the younger pupils. I was unaware its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I understood it was simply an internet trend akin to when I was a student.

These trends are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a well-known trend during the period when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t really occur as often in the learning environment. Unlike ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the whiteboard in instruction, so students were less prepared to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to empathise with them and understand that it is just youth culture. I believe they simply desire to feel that sense of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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Judy Sanders
Judy Sanders

Lena is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience, specializing in consumer electronics and emerging technologies.