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Across the UK, students have been exclaiming the expression “sixseven” during classes in the latest viral phenomenon to sweep across classrooms.

Although some instructors have opted to calmly disregard the phenomenon, others have incorporated it. Five teachers explain how they’re dealing.

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

During September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade class about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. I can’t remember precisely what it was in reference to, but I said something like “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the entire group burst out laughing. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I’d made an allusion to an offensive subject, or that they detected something in my accent that seemed humorous. A bit exasperated – but truly interested and mindful that they had no intention of being malicious – I persuaded them to explain. Frankly speaking, the clarification they offered didn’t make significant clarification – I remained with minimal understanding.

What could have rendered it especially amusing was the weighing-up motion I had executed while speaking. I later found out that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I meant it to assist in expressing the act of me speaking my mind.

To end the trend I try to reference it as much as I can. No approach reduces a craze like this more thoroughly than an teacher striving to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Knowing about it helps so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating comments like “well, there were 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is inevitable, having a firm student discipline system and requirements on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any different interruption, but I’ve not really been required to take that action. Guidelines are necessary, but if students embrace what the educational institution is doing, they will remain more focused by the internet crazes (at least in instructional hours).

With six-seven, I haven’t lost any lesson time, except for an occasional eyebrow raise and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide attention to it, then it becomes a wildfire. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any different disturbance.

Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a previous period, and certainly there will appear a new phenomenon subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. During my own growing up, it was performing comedy characters mimicry (truthfully away from the school environment).

Children are unpredictable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to react in a manner that steers them in the direction of the course that will help them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is graduating with qualifications instead of a disciplinary record extensive for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners utilize it like a unifying phrase in the playground: one says it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It resembles a call-and-response or a football chant – an common expression they possess. In my view it has any specific meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a thing to say. Whatever the latest craze is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s forbidden in my learning environment, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – just like any additional shouting out is. It’s notably difficult in numeracy instruction. But my students at fifth grade are pre-teens, so they’re fairly accepting of the regulations, although I appreciate that at high school it might be a different matter.

I’ve been a teacher for a decade and a half, and these crazes last for a month or so. This trend will diminish shortly – they always do, particularly once their younger siblings start saying it and it ceases to be trendy. Then they’ll be on to the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a foreign language school. It was primarily boys saying it. I educated teenagers and it was widespread within the younger pupils. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was just a meme comparable to when I was a student.

These trends are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to exist as much in the classroom. Unlike “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in lessons, so students were less prepared to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, striving to empathise with them and recognize that it’s merely contemporary trends. I believe they just want to feel that sense of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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