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Throughout the UK, students have been exclaiming the words “sixseven” during instruction in the latest internet-inspired trend to sweep across classrooms.

Whereas some instructors have chosen to patiently overlook the trend, some have embraced it. Five instructors share how they’re managing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been addressing my secondary school students about studying for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in reference to, but I said something like “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an hint at an offensive subject, or that they perceived something in my pronunciation that seemed humorous. Slightly frustrated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t trying to be mean – I got them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the clarification they offered failed to create much difference – I continued to have no idea.

What might have rendered it extra funny was the weighing-up gesture I had performed during speaking. I have since discovered that this often accompanies ““67”: I had intended it to help convey the process of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to kill it off I aim to reference it as often as I can. No approach deflates a trend like this more effectively than an grown-up attempting to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it assists so that you can prevent just accidentally making statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unavoidable, possessing a firm school behaviour policy and standards on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any additional interruption, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Policies are important, but if pupils accept what the school is doing, they’ll be more focused by the online trends (particularly in instructional hours).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, other than for an occasional raised eyebrow and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. If you give focus on it, it evolves into an inferno. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any different disturbance.

There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one phenomenon a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon following this. This is typical youth activity. During my own youth, it was doing comedy characters mimicry (honestly out of the learning space).

Young people are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to respond in a approach that redirects them back to the course that will enable them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is completing their studies with qualifications as opposed to a behaviour list lengthy for the utilization of meaningless numerals.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners utilize it like a bonding chant in the schoolyard: one says it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It resembles a verbal exchange or a football chant – an agreed language they use. In my view it has any distinct significance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the current trend is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they exclaim it – just like any other verbal interruption is. It’s particularly tricky in maths lessons. But my class at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re relatively compliant with the regulations, whereas I recognize that at secondary [school] it may be a different matter.

I’ve been a teacher for 15 years, and these phenomena continue for a few weeks. This phenomenon will fade away in the near future – this consistently happens, especially once their little brothers and sisters start saying it and it’s no longer cool. Subsequently they will be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mainly young men saying it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent within the less experienced learners. I had no idea what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was just a meme comparable to when I was at school.

The crazes are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a well-known trend during the period when I was at my educational institute, but it failed to appear as frequently in the learning environment. Differing from ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in class, so pupils were less prepared to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to understand them and appreciate that it is just pop culture. In my opinion they just want to experience that feeling of togetherness and companionship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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