Roberto Germán [00:00:01]:
Welcome to Our Classroom. In this space, we talk about education, which is inclusive of, but not limited to what happens in schools. Education is taking place whenever and wherever we are willing to learn. I am your host, Roberto Germán, and our classroom is officially in session. Welcome back to Our Classroom, where we explore education, culture, and community through stories that remind us why learning matters. Today, we're going to talk about a viral moment, one that made me smile, think, and reflect on what it really means to be a lifelong learner. And you might have seen it. There was this clip from the Los Angeles Public Library that we reposted on our Instagram page where a visitor asked a simple question, what does 6, 7 mean? And instead of shrugging it off, the librarian gives one of the most thoughtful, hilarious, and surprisingly detailed explanations of Internet slang I've ever heard.
Roberto Germán [00:01:05]:
Or at least that's how I feel in the moment. And it's funny, but it's also brilliant because that librarian didn't just explain a meme. They modeled curiosity, modeled learning in public. And that's exactly what we need more of. Libraries, classrooms, honesty, everywhere. We need that to intersect and intertwine. So if you haven't seen it, here's what went down. The visitor walks up and asks about the phrase 6, 7, and the librarian, calm, collected, breaks it down step by step.
Roberto Germán [00:01:46]:
They reference this Philly rapper named Skrilla, some song called Do Do, a basketball player using a hand motion, talking about Lamelo Ball, of course, shout out to Lavar Ball and the ball family. I love to see fathers doing great things with their children and their children living up to expectations. Anyways. And then the librarian references a meme from a middle school crowd and even jokes that the. The point of 6, 7 is that there is no point. And then the librarian wraps it up and says, how did I do? On a scale of 1 to 10? And the. The visitor responds, 6, 7. And so it's clever.
Roberto Germán [00:02:30]:
It's clever, it's current. It's pure gold. Which is why it went viral. And we appreciate the attention it's brought us just by reposting it. But what really struck me wasn't the content. It was the posture. The librarian didn't dismiss the question as silly or beneath them. The librarian leaned in, learned, and laughed.
Roberto Germán [00:02:50]:
And that's the master class in how to stay curious. You've heard us say here at Multicultural Classroom, we want to lead with curiosity. And so here's why this moment matters. That librarian acted as a cultural bridge. They took something from youth culture, a slang term, a meme. A moment and decoded it without judgment. And honestly, that's what good teaching looks like. It's what good community building looks like in a multicultural classroom.
Roberto Germán [00:03:20]:
Lorena and I talk about the importance of meeting people where they are, not where we wish they were. And we wrestle with that. And that's what this librarian did. They met curiosity. With what? With curiosity. And so, as educators, parents, or leaders, we're constantly asked to explain things we don't always understand. Whether it's slang, social trends, or the latest viral sound, we can choose to react with dismissal or with discovery. This librarian chose discovery.
Roberto Germán [00:04:08]:
And that's how culture becomes a classroom. One of the reasons this clip hit millions of views is because it's so refreshing to see someone learn in public. Not millions on our platform, unfortunately, but it did hit over 200,000. So we're with that, but no pressure, no ego, just a love for figuring things out. Librarians are some of the. They're some of the less truly public learning spaces, places where it's okay to not know something, where it's okay to ask random questions, explore ideas, and leave a little smarter than you came in. And. And isn't that what we want for our classrooms, too? We want spaces where curiosity doesn't get shut down.
Roberto Germán [00:05:06]:
It gets celebrated. When we reposted this video, we added the line, definitely go see your local library. And even as I create this right now, even as I'm sharing this with you, Lorena is with our kids at our local library, the Jimmy Keel Library. And so we mean that we live that because the library isn't just a building full of books. It's a space full of people who keep the spirit of learning alive. So let's talk about the deeper lesson here. The librarian was decoding a meme. Yes, but they were also showing how culture evolves through curiosity.
Roberto Germán [00:05:50]:
They were saying, in essence, let's not be afraid of what we don't understand. Hello. That's a message. In this day and age, right? We just tend to. In our society, we shun the things that we don't understand or the people that we don't understand, or the cultures that we don't understand. And in a world where people are quick to label everything as brain rot. Right, Brain rot or woke propaganda or not appropriate. What if we approached it in the way this librarian did, with humor, humility, and a desire to understand? And that's what we aim to do here at Multicultural Classroom.
Roberto Germán [00:06:39]:
To take things people often avoid. Race, identity, bias, belonging, and help educators and others approach them with courage. And curiosity. So, yes, this viral librarian, they're doing all kind of work. They're modeling what learning looks like when it's rooted in curiosity instead of control. And if you take one thing from this story, if you take one thing from this episode, if you take one thing from the post, let it be this. We need libraries because we need places that make learning human again. You heard what I said.
Roberto Germán [00:07:26]:
We need places that make learning human again. We need people such as librarians, teachers, mentors, who make it okay to say, I don't know what that means, but let's find out together. That's how we build connection. That's how we build community. And that's how we make education feel alive again. So, yeah, go see your local library. And while you're there, thank you, librarian. They're doing sacred work.
Roberto Germán [00:07:57]:
For real. For real. Listen, if you enjoyed this brief conversation, this, this brief unpacking of this wonderful viral clip, right? If you you're thinking about and talking about you, you appreciate libraries and you understand that we still need them more than ever, then, besides doing what I've already encouraged you to do, which is to go and check out your local library, thank them, and all that, I ask that you would share this with someone who loves learning. Share this episode with someone who loves learning. And tag your favorite library or librarian. And if you want to keep chopping it up with us, well, you already know. Follow us at Multicultural Classroom. Peace and Love, my people.
Roberto Germán [00:08:55]:
We're always building, we're always moving forward, and we're staying committed to leading with curiosity. As always, your engagement in Our Classroom is greatly appreciated. Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and write a review. Finally, for resources to help you understand the intersection of race, bias, education and society, go to multiculturalclassroom.com Peace and love from your host, Roberto Germán.
