Millennial Teacher Vs Gen Alpha Students

 

Yesterday, I was explaining Freyer’s Model when I used my hands to compare examples and non-examples in a simple balancing gesture. Instantly, a chorus of students shouted, “6…7…!” followed by a wave of giggles. When I asked what that meant, they called it a “trend,” and muttered something I couldn’t fathom.

This is not the first offbeat moment during a lesson. Earlier this year, when I asked a student to describe the protagonist, he said, “He's got rizz; completely lit.”. Puzzled, when I asked what it meant, there erupted a thunderous laughter. Amidst the laughter I heard, “Ma’am, It’s not English; it’s Gen-Zsh”.

That night was sleepless. Not because I didn’t know what the student meant, but because I had no clue, if it was originally English or some other language.

That weekend, I did my homework. I dove into the lingo of Gen-Z, and after initial confusion, I got the hang of it, even learning to retort with their own jargons.

But this 6…7..! incident is even worse. I don’t think a teacher can be aware of every fleeting trend among the children of this modern era. This generation easily picks up everything that goes viral online. They don't just learn; they absorb, adapting the slang, body language, and lifestyles of online sensations at a dizzying pace. The worst part is, teachers or parents cannot keep with their pace.

They live in an algorithmic bubble, one that often exposes them to the forbidden fruit of obscene language and mature content. The most concerning part is how this exposure normalizes such language, stripping it of its shock value and guilt.

This duality is what troubles me most. While this generation thrives with unparalleled access to online resources, they also fall prey to its enchantments, losing a piece of their originality in the process. As Palki Sharma noted on Vantage, this new lingo builds walls and bridges simultaneously—a way to bond with peers while keeping their parents and teachers clueless.

As a teacher of these Gen-Alpha kids, I've started to see these moments not as disruptions, but as data points. When they shout, '6 or 7,' it's a window into their culture. My goal is no longer to know every trend—that's a losing battle—but to cultivate an environment where they can be the experts. Perhaps the next lesson I will have to include a 'Trend decoder' segment. In doing so, I don’t just decode their slang; but build rapport, and ultimately, create a classroom where their Jargons and the curriculum can coexist.

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