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Across the UK, learners have been exclaiming the expression ““six-seven” during classes in the latest meme-based trend to sweep across classrooms.

Whereas some teachers have opted to stoically ignore the craze, others have accepted it. Five educators describe how they’re dealing.

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

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade class about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. I can’t remember specifically what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It took me totally off guard.

My first thought was that I’d made an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived something in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Somewhat frustrated – but truly interested and aware that they weren’t mean – I asked them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the explanation they offered didn’t make greater understanding – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What might have rendered it especially amusing was the considering motion I had performed during speaking. I later found out that this often accompanies “six-seven”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the action of me thinking aloud.

To eliminate it I aim to bring it up as frequently as I can. No strategy reduces a phenomenon like this more effectively than an teacher striving to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it helps so that you can steer clear of just accidentally making statements like “well, there were 6, 7 million unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unavoidable, having a firm school behaviour policy and standards on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any additional interruption, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Policies are important, but if students embrace what the educational institution is practicing, they’ll be less distracted by the online trends (at least in instructional hours).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, except for an infrequent eyebrow raise and saying ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer focus on it, then it becomes an inferno. I handle it in the same way I would manage any additional disruption.

There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a while back, and certainly there will appear a different trend following this. It’s what kids do. Back when I was childhood, it was performing television personalities impressions (honestly out of the learning space).

Students are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to respond in a approach that redirects them toward the path that will get them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with certificates as opposed to a disciplinary record lengthy for the use of random numbers.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children utilize it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: a student calls it and the remaining students reply to show they are the same group. It’s like a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they share. I believe it has any specific importance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the current trend is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, however – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – just like any additional shouting out is. It’s especially difficult in numeracy instruction. But my class at fifth grade are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re quite compliant with the rules, whereas I recognize that at teen education it could be a separate situation.

I have served as a teacher for a decade and a half, and these crazes last for a month or so. This phenomenon will diminish shortly – they always do, particularly once their junior family members start saying it and it’s no longer cool. Then they’ll be focused on the next thing.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mainly male students uttering it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was prevalent with the younger pupils. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a well-known trend back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really exist as much in the learning environment. Unlike ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in lessons, so students were less able to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, striving to understand them and understand that it is just youth culture. I believe they simply desire to feel that sense of togetherness and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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