‘It’s impossible not to smile’: a quintet of UK instructors on handling ‘‘67’ in the school environment
Throughout the UK, learners have been shouting out the phrase ““67” during instruction in the most recent meme-based craze to sweep across classrooms.
Although some instructors have chosen to calmly disregard the craze, different educators have incorporated it. Several instructors describe how they’re managing.
‘My initial assumption was that I’d uttered something offensive’
Earlier in September, I had been talking to my year 11 class about preparing for their qualification tests in June. I can’t remember 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 burst out laughing. It surprised me totally off guard.
My immediate assumption was that I had created an reference to an offensive subject, or that they’d heard something in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Slightly frustrated – but truly interested and aware that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I asked them to elaborate. Honestly, the description they offered failed to create significant clarification – I continued to have minimal understanding.
What could have caused it to be particularly humorous was the weighing-up movement I had performed during speaking. I later found out that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I had intended it to help convey the act of me thinking aloud.
To eliminate it I try to bring it up as much as I can. No approach deflates a craze like this more effectively than an grown-up trying to participate.
‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’
Knowing about it aids so that you can avoid just unintentionally stating remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is inevitable, possessing a firm school behaviour policy and standards on learner demeanor really helps, as you can address it as you would any additional disturbance, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Rules are one thing, but if students accept what the school is doing, they’ll be better concentrated by the online trends (especially in class periods).
With 67, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, other than for an infrequent raised eyebrow and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide focus on it, then it becomes an inferno. I handle it in the same way I would handle any additional interruption.
There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one phenomenon a previous period, and certainly there will appear a different trend after this. That’s children’s behavior. When I was growing up, it was imitating Kevin and Perry impressions (truthfully away from the learning space).
Children are spontaneous, and I think it’s an adult’s job to react in a way that guides them in the direction of the course that will get them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is coming out with certificates rather than a disciplinary record a mile long for the employment of random numbers.
‘Students desire belonging to a community’
The children utilize it like a bonding chant in the playground: a student calls it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an common expression they share. I don’t think it has any specific meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the newest phenomenon is, they seek to experience belonging to it.
It’s forbidden in my learning environment, however – it results in a caution if they call it out – just like any other calling out is. It’s especially difficult in numeracy instruction. But my class at fifth grade are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly accepting of the regulations, although I recognize that at teen education it could be a distinct scenario.
I have worked as a teacher for 15 years, and these phenomena last for a few weeks. This phenomenon will die out soon – it invariably occurs, particularly once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it’s no longer trendy. Subsequently they will be on to the subsequent trend.
‘You just have to laugh with them’
I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was primarily boys uttering it. I educated teenagers and it was widespread among the younger pupils. I had no idea what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was a student.
These trends are always shifting. ““Skibidi” was a well-known trend at the time when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the educational setting. In contrast to ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the board in lessons, so students were less prepared to adopt it.
I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to relate to them and recognize that it is just pop culture. I believe they just want to experience that feeling of togetherness and companionship.
‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’
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