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Across the UK, learners have been exclaiming the expression ““six-seven” during instruction in the most recent viral phenomenon to take over schools.

Whereas some educators have chosen to calmly disregard the craze, different educators have embraced it. A group of teachers share how they’re coping.

‘My initial assumption was that I’d uttered something offensive’

During September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade students about getting ready for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me completely by surprise.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an allusion to an offensive subject, or that they’d heard something in my pronunciation that seemed humorous. Somewhat annoyed – but genuinely curious and aware that they had no intention of being mean – I got them to elaborate. Honestly, the description they then gave didn’t make greater understanding – I still had no idea.

What possibly made it extra funny was the weighing-up movement I had performed during speaking. I later found out that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the action of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of end the trend I attempt to reference it as frequently as I can. No approach diminishes a craze like this more thoroughly than an adult striving to get involved.

‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’

Understanding it helps so that you can prevent just accidentally making statements like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is inevitable, maintaining a firm student discipline system and requirements on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any different disruption, but I’ve not really been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if pupils accept what the school is doing, they will become better concentrated by the internet crazes (at least in lesson time).

Concerning 67, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, aside from an infrequent quizzical look and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide oxygen to it, it transforms into an inferno. I treat it in the identical manner I would handle any different interruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a while back, and there will no doubt be a different trend following this. This is typical youth activity. When I was childhood, it was performing Kevin and Perry impressions (honestly away from the classroom).

Young people are unforeseeable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to respond in a approach that redirects them toward the path that will get them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with qualifications as opposed to a conduct report a mile long for the utilization of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

The children employ it like a connecting expression in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It’s like a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they possess. I believe it has any particular importance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. Whatever the current trend is, they want to be included in it.

It’s banned in my classroom, however – it’s a warning if they call it out – similar to any different shouting out is. It’s notably tricky in maths lessons. But my class at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively accepting of the regulations, while I recognize that at high school it might be a distinct scenario.

I’ve been a instructor for a decade and a half, and these phenomena continue for a month or so. This phenomenon will die out in the near future – this consistently happens, notably once their younger siblings begin using it and it’s no longer fashionable. Subsequently they will be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was primarily young men saying it. I educated ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread among the junior students. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was simply an internet trend akin to when I attended classes.

These trends are always shifting. ““Skibidi” was a familiar phenomenon back when I was at my training school, but it failed to occur as often in the educational setting. Unlike ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in instruction, so students were less able to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, trying to empathise with them and recognize that it is just youth culture. I believe they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of community and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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