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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the phrase “sixseven” during instruction in the newest viral trend to spread through educational institutions.

Whereas some educators have opted to patiently overlook the trend, others have embraced it. A group of teachers explain how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my year 11 class about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard an element of my speech pattern that appeared amusing. Somewhat annoyed – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I asked them to explain. Honestly, the explanation they then gave failed to create significant clarification – I continued to have little comprehension.

What could have rendered it especially amusing was the considering movement I had performed during speaking. I later learned that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the act of me speaking my mind.

In order to end the trend I attempt to reference it as much as I can. No strategy diminishes a trend like this more thoroughly than an teacher trying to join in.

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

Knowing about it helps so that you can prevent just accidentally making statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is unpreventable, maintaining a rock-solid student discipline system and standards on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any additional interruption, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Rules are necessary, but if pupils buy into what the school is implementing, they will become less distracted by the online trends (at least in lesson time).

With 67, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, except for an periodic quizzical look and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer focus on it, it evolves into a blaze. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any additional disturbance.

Earlier occurred the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a previous period, and certainly there will appear another craze following this. It’s what kids do. When I was youth, it was doing Kevin and Perry impressions (admittedly out of the learning space).

Students are unforeseeable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to react in a way that steers them back to the direction that will help them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is coming out with certificates instead of a behaviour list lengthy for the employment of random numbers.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Students utilize it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: one says it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It resembles a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an common expression they use. I believe it has any distinct significance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s banned in my classroom, though – it’s a warning if they shout it out – identical to any additional shouting out is. It’s particularly tricky in mathematics classes. But my pupils at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively accepting of the guidelines, whereas I appreciate that at high school it may be a distinct scenario.

I’ve been a educator for 15 years, and these phenomena continue for a few weeks. This craze will fade away in the near future – this consistently happens, particularly once their junior family members begin using it and it stops being cool. Afterward they shall be engaged with the next thing.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a international school. It was mainly young men uttering it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread with the younger pupils. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was at school.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the learning environment. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the board in instruction, so learners were less equipped to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to relate to them and appreciate that it’s simply pop culture. In my opinion they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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