‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: five UK instructors on coping with ‘six-seven’ in the educational setting
Across the UK, learners have been calling out the words ““six-seven” during classes in the newest viral craze to sweep across schools.
Although some teachers have chosen to stoically ignore the craze, others have accepted it. A group of teachers explain how they’re coping.
‘I thought I had said something rude’
Back in September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade class about preparing for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It took me entirely unexpectedly.
My initial reaction was that I’d made an hint at an offensive subject, or that they detected a quality in my pronunciation that sounded funny. Somewhat exasperated – but truly interested and aware that they had no intention of being hurtful – I persuaded them to clarify. To be honest, the clarification they provided didn’t provide significant clarification – I remained with no idea.
What might have made it extra funny was the weighing-up gesture I had performed during speaking. Subsequently I found out that this often accompanies “six-seven”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the act of me verbalizing thoughts.
To end the trend I aim to bring it up as frequently as I can. Nothing reduces a trend like this more effectively than an teacher attempting to get involved.
‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’
Knowing about it helps so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating comments like “for example, there existed 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is unpreventable, maintaining a rock-solid student discipline system and expectations on pupil behavior really helps, as you can sanction it as you would any other disturbance, but I rarely been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if learners embrace what the school is doing, they will become less distracted by the internet crazes (especially in class periods).
Concerning 67, I haven’t lost any lesson time, except for an periodic raised eyebrow and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give focus on it, then it becomes a blaze. I handle it in the identical manner I would manage any different disruption.
Earlier occurred the mathematical meme phenomenon a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon subsequently. It’s what kids do. When I was childhood, it was imitating television personalities mimicry (truthfully out of the learning space).
Students are spontaneous, and I think it falls to the teacher to react in a manner that steers them back to the direction that will get them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is graduating with qualifications rather than a conduct report a mile long for the utilization of arbitrary digits.
‘They want to feel a part of a group’
Young learners use it like a connecting expression in the schoolyard: one says it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It resembles a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an common expression they use. I believe it has any specific significance 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 teaching space, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – just like any different calling out is. It’s particularly difficult in maths lessons. But my students at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite accepting of the regulations, while I recognize that at high school it may be a separate situation.
I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and these crazes continue for three or four weeks. This craze will fade away shortly – it invariably occurs, particularly once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it ceases to be trendy. Then they’ll be on to the subsequent trend.
‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’
I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a international school. It was primarily young men uttering it. I educated teenagers and it was common within the less experienced learners. I had no idea what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I was at school.
Such phenomena are always shifting. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the learning environment. Differing from “six-seven”, ““the skibidi trend” was never written on the whiteboard in lessons, so learners were less prepared to adopt it.
I just ignore it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to understand them and appreciate that it’s simply contemporary trends. I believe they simply desire to experience that feeling of belonging and camaraderie.
‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’
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