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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the phrase “sixseven” during classes in the most recent internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across educational institutions.

Whereas some instructors have opted to patiently overlook the trend, others have accepted it. Five teachers share how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my secondary school tutor group about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. I can’t remember specifically what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re working to marks six, seven …” and the entire group burst out laughing. It caught me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I’d made an reference to an offensive subject, or that they’d heard a quality in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. Slightly exasperated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t trying to be mean – I got them to clarify. To be honest, the explanation they provided failed to create greater understanding – I still had no idea.

What possibly rendered it especially amusing was the evaluating movement I had performed during speaking. Subsequently I learned that this typically pairs with ““67”: I had intended it to assist in expressing the act of me speaking my mind.

With the aim of end the trend I try to bring it up as often as I can. Nothing reduces a phenomenon like this more effectively than an teacher attempting to participate.

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

Being aware of it aids so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is inevitable, maintaining a strong student discipline system and requirements on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any different disruption, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Policies are necessary, but if pupils embrace what the learning environment is practicing, they’ll be better concentrated by the viral phenomena (particularly in class periods).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, except for an periodic raised eyebrow and saying ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer oxygen to it, it evolves into a blaze. I treat it in the identical manner I would handle any other interruption.

There was the mathematical meme trend a previous period, and there will no doubt be another craze following this. It’s what kids do. Back when I was childhood, it was imitating Kevin and Perry mimicry (truthfully away from the classroom).

Students are spontaneous, and I think it’s an adult’s job to behave in a way that redirects them back to the path that will get them toward their academic objectives, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with academic achievements rather than a disciplinary record lengthy for the utilization of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners utilize it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: one says it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an common expression they possess. In my view it has any specific meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the current trend is, they seek to be included in it.

It’s banned in my classroom, however – it triggers a reminder if they exclaim it – identical to any other verbal interruption is. It’s particularly difficult in mathematics classes. But my class at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re relatively adherent to the guidelines, although I appreciate that at secondary [school] it might be a different matter.

I’ve been a teacher for a decade and a half, and such trends last for three or four weeks. This phenomenon will fade away shortly – they always do, notably once their younger siblings start saying it and it ceases to be trendy. Subsequently they will be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was primarily boys uttering it. I instructed students from twelve to eighteen and it was common among the younger pupils. I didn’t understand its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was just a meme comparable to when I attended classes.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly occur as often in the classroom. Unlike ““sixseven”, ““the skibidi trend” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in class, so students were less prepared to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, striving to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply contemporary trends. In my opinion they merely seek to feel that sense of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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