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Around the UK, students have been exclaiming the phrase “sixseven” during instruction in the latest viral phenomenon to sweep across educational institutions.

Although some educators have chosen to patiently overlook the phenomenon, some have embraced it. Several instructors describe how they’re managing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade students about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in reference to, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the complete classroom started chuckling. It took me totally off guard.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an allusion to an offensive subject, or that they detected something in my accent that appeared amusing. A bit frustrated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they had no intention of being hurtful – I asked them to explain. To be honest, the description they then gave didn’t make greater understanding – I remained with little comprehension.

What possibly rendered it especially amusing was the considering gesture I had executed while speaking. I later found out that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: My purpose was it to help convey the action of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of kill it off I try to mention it as much as I can. No strategy deflates a trend like this more effectively than an teacher striving to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it helps so that you can steer clear of just blundering into remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is unavoidable, maintaining a firm student discipline system and standards on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any different interruption, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Rules are necessary, but if learners buy into what the school is implementing, they will become better concentrated by the viral phenomena (particularly in class periods).

Concerning 67, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, other than for an infrequent raised eyebrow and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give attention to it, it evolves into an inferno. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any different disturbance.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a few years ago, and there will no doubt be a different trend following this. This is typical youth activity. During my own childhood, it was doing Kevin and Perry impressions (honestly away from the classroom).

Students are unforeseeable, and I believe it falls to the teacher to respond in a way that redirects them in the direction of the path that will help them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with academic achievements as opposed to a behaviour list a mile long for the use of random numbers.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Students employ it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: one says it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a football chant – an shared vocabulary they use. In my view it has any specific significance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the newest phenomenon is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, though – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – identical to any additional calling out is. It’s particularly challenging in numeracy instruction. But my class at fifth grade are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively adherent to the rules, while I recognize that at high school it could be a separate situation.

I’ve been a instructor for a decade and a half, and such trends persist for a few weeks. This phenomenon will die out soon – they always do, notably once their junior family members begin using it and it stops being trendy. Subsequently they will be focused on the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I started noticing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was primarily male students uttering it. I taught teenagers and it was prevalent among the younger pupils. I didn’t understand its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was simply an internet trend similar to when I was at school.

These trends are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really exist as much in the learning environment. Unlike “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in lessons, so students were less prepared to adopt it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to understand them and appreciate that it’s merely pop culture. I think they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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