‘It’s impossible not to smile’: five UK educators on coping with ‘six-seven’ in the educational setting

Throughout the UK, learners have been calling out the phrase ““six-seven” during classes in the latest meme-based phenomenon to sweep across classrooms.

While some teachers have decided to calmly disregard the phenomenon, different educators have accepted it. Several educators share how they’re coping.

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

During September, I had been addressing my secondary school class about studying for their qualification tests 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 entire group burst out laughing. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I’d made an allusion to an offensive subject, or that they detected a quality in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. A bit annoyed – but genuinely curious and aware that they weren’t malicious – I asked them to elaborate. To be honest, the clarification they then gave didn’t make much difference – I still had no idea.

What might have rendered it particularly humorous was the considering gesture I had made while speaking. I later discovered that this often accompanies ““67”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the action of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of kill it off I try to mention it as often as I can. No approach deflates a trend like this more effectively than an adult trying to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it helps so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unavoidable, maintaining a strong student discipline system and expectations on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any different disruption, but I rarely needed to implement that. Rules are important, but if students buy into what the school is implementing, they will become more focused by the viral phenomena (particularly in lesson time).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, other than for an infrequent quizzical look and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide focus on it, then it becomes an inferno. I handle it in the identical manner I would treat any other disruption.

Earlier occurred the mathematical meme trend a previous period, and certainly there will appear a new phenomenon after this. This is typical youth activity. During my own childhood, it was performing television personalities mimicry (honestly away from the classroom).

Young people are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to react in a way that redirects them in the direction of the course that will help them toward their academic objectives, which, with luck, is coming out with certificates instead of a behaviour list a mile long for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners employ it like a connecting expression in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to show they are the same group. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an common expression they share. In my view it has any specific importance to them; they merely recognize it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the newest phenomenon is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they shout it out – similar to any different verbal interruption is. It’s especially challenging in numeracy instruction. But my class at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite compliant with the regulations, although I understand that at teen education it might be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a teacher for fifteen years, and these phenomena persist for a month or so. This craze will die out shortly – they always do, particularly once their junior family members start saying it and it ceases to be trendy. Subsequently they will be on to the following phenomenon.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was mostly young men saying it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread within the younger pupils. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I attended classes.

The crazes are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme back when I was at my educational institute, but it failed to exist as much in the learning environment. Unlike ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in lessons, so students were less able to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, attempting to relate to them and recognize that it is just pop culture. I think they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of community and friendship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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