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Throughout the UK, learners have been shouting out the expression “sixseven” during classes in the latest viral craze to take over classrooms.

While some teachers have chosen to patiently overlook the phenomenon, others have embraced it. Five educators describe how they’re coping.

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

Back in September, I had been talking to my secondary school students about studying 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 targeting results six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I had created an hint at an offensive subject, or that they perceived a quality in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. Slightly annoyed – but truly interested and aware that they had no intention of being hurtful – I got them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the clarification they then gave didn’t provide greater understanding – I still had minimal understanding.

What could have rendered it especially amusing was the evaluating gesture I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I discovered that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the process of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of eliminate it I try to mention it as much as I can. No strategy reduces a trend like this more effectively than an grown-up trying to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it assists so that you can avoid just blundering into comments like “for example, there existed 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is inevitable, having a strong school behaviour policy and standards on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any other disturbance, but I rarely had to do that. Guidelines are necessary, but if learners accept what the educational institution is implementing, they will become more focused by the online trends (especially in lesson time).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t sacrificed any instructional minutes, except for an periodic eyebrow raise and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer focus on it, it evolves into an inferno. I treat it in the identical manner I would treat any additional disruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a different trend subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. When I was childhood, it was performing comedy characters impressions (truthfully away from the school environment).

Young people are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to respond in a way that redirects them toward the direction that will enable them where they need to go, which, with luck, is coming out with academic achievements rather than a behaviour list lengthy for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners use it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: one says it and the other children answer to show they are the equivalent circle. It’s like a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they share. In my view it has any particular importance to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the latest craze is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s banned in my classroom, though – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – identical to any other verbal interruption is. It’s notably difficult in maths lessons. But my pupils at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re relatively compliant with the regulations, while I recognize that at high school it might be a different matter.

I have worked as a instructor for fifteen years, and such trends last for a few weeks. This trend will diminish shortly – they always do, especially once their junior family members begin using it and it stops being cool. Then they’ll be focused on the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a international school. It was mostly male students saying it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread among the less experienced learners. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was just a meme comparable to when I was a student.

These trends are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the classroom. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in class, so pupils were less equipped to embrace it.

I just ignore it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s merely youth culture. I believe they simply desire to feel that sense of community and companionship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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