‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: a quintet of UK educators on dealing with ‘‘sixseven’ in the educational setting
Across the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the phrase ““six-seven” during instruction in the newest meme-based trend to spread through classrooms.
Whereas some instructors have opted to patiently overlook the craze, others have accepted it. A group of instructors explain how they’re dealing.
‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’
Back in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade class about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It took me entirely unexpectedly.
My initial reaction was that I’d made an hint at something rude, or that they’d heard something in my accent that sounded funny. Somewhat frustrated – but genuinely curious and mindful that they weren’t hurtful – I asked them to elaborate. To be honest, the clarification they offered didn’t make significant clarification – I remained with no idea.
What might have caused it to be extra funny was the weighing-up gesture I had executed while speaking. I have since learned that this often accompanies “six-seven”: My purpose was it to help convey the act of me verbalizing thoughts.
In order to eliminate it I try to reference it as often as I can. Nothing reduces a trend like this more thoroughly than an grown-up striving to join in.
‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’
Knowing about it assists so that you can steer clear of just blundering into statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 thousand jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the digit pairing is inevitable, possessing a rock-solid student discipline system and expectations on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any other disruption, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if pupils embrace what the school is implementing, they will become less distracted by the viral phenomena (at least in class periods).
With sixseven, I haven’t lost any lesson time, except for an infrequent quizzical look and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide focus on it, it evolves into a blaze. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any different interruption.
There was the mathematical meme trend a while back, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon following this. That’s children’s behavior. Back when I was childhood, it was performing Kevin and Perry impersonations (truthfully out of the classroom).
Students are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a way that redirects them back to the path that will enable them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with qualifications as opposed to a disciplinary record extensive for the employment of arbitrary digits.
‘Students desire belonging to a community’
The children use it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: one says it and the other children answer to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It resembles a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an common expression they use. In my view it has any specific importance to them; they just know it’s a thing to say. No matter what the current trend is, they seek to experience belonging to it.
It’s forbidden in my learning environment, though – it’s a warning if they call it out – identical to any additional shouting out is. It’s especially challenging in maths lessons. But my students at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re relatively adherent to the rules, whereas I understand that at teen education it could be a separate situation.
I have worked as a educator for a decade and a half, and these crazes continue for a month or so. This phenomenon will fade away shortly – it invariably occurs, notably once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it ceases to be cool. Subsequently they will be on to the following phenomenon.
‘You just have to laugh with them’
I started noticing it in August, while educating in English language at a foreign language school. It was primarily boys repeating it. I taught teenagers and it was prevalent among the younger pupils. I was unaware what it was at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I attended classes.
The crazes are always shifting. ““Skibidi” 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 educational setting. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in instruction, so students were less equipped to adopt it.
I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to empathise with them and understand that it is just contemporary trends. In my opinion they just want to enjoy that sensation of belonging and camaraderie.
‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’
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