‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: five UK teachers on handling ‘‘67’ in the school environment

Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the expression “sixseven” during instruction in the newest meme-based craze to take over classrooms.

Although some teachers have chosen to calmly disregard the craze, some have accepted it. Five educators share how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been addressing my year 11 students about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. I can’t remember precisely what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the complete classroom started chuckling. It surprised me totally off guard.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard a quality in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Slightly annoyed – but truly interested and aware that they had no intention of being malicious – I asked them to explain. Frankly speaking, the clarification they provided didn’t provide much difference – I continued to have little comprehension.

What might have caused it to be particularly humorous was the evaluating movement I had performed during speaking. Subsequently I found out that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the process of me verbalizing thoughts.

To end the trend I aim to mention it as much as I can. No approach deflates a craze like this more emphatically than an teacher trying to join in.

‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’

Understanding it aids so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is inevitable, maintaining a strong school behaviour policy and standards on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any additional disruption, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Guidelines are one thing, but if pupils buy into what the school is doing, they’ll be more focused by the internet crazes (at least in class periods).

Regarding 67, I haven’t lost any lesson time, other than for an periodic quizzical look and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer oxygen to it, it evolves into a blaze. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would manage any additional interruption.

There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon following this. It’s what kids do. During my own growing up, it was doing television personalities mimicry (admittedly out of the school environment).

Young people are unpredictable, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to behave in a approach that redirects them toward the course that will enable them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with qualifications rather than a behaviour list extensive for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners use it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: one says it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s like a call-and-response or a football chant – an agreed language they share. I don’t think it has any specific importance to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they seek to feel part of it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, nevertheless – it’s a warning if they call it out – similar to any additional verbal interruption is. It’s particularly challenging in numeracy instruction. But my class at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re fairly adherent to the regulations, whereas I appreciate that at high school it may be a different matter.

I have worked as a instructor for fifteen years, and such trends last for a month or so. This trend will fade away shortly – it invariably occurs, especially once their junior family members begin using it and it stops being trendy. Afterward they shall be focused on the next thing.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was primarily young men saying it. I instructed teenagers and it was common among the less experienced learners. I didn’t understand its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was just a meme akin to when I was a student.

The crazes are constantly changing. ““Skibidi” was a well-known trend back when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really occur as often in the educational setting. Unlike “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in lessons, so pupils were less prepared to embrace it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, attempting to relate to them and understand that it is just youth culture. In my opinion they simply desire to feel that sense of community and companionship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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