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Across the UK, learners have been shouting out the words ““six-seven” during classes in the latest meme-based craze to take over schools.

Whereas some educators have opted to patiently overlook the phenomenon, some have accepted it. A group of instructors explain how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Earlier in September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade class about preparing for their qualification tests in June. I can’t remember precisely what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It surprised me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I had created an hint at something rude, or that they perceived something in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. Slightly exasperated – but truly interested and aware that they had no intention of being hurtful – I persuaded them to elaborate. To be honest, the description they offered didn’t make much difference – I still had no idea.

What possibly rendered it extra funny was the weighing-up motion I had executed while speaking. I have since found out that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to aid in demonstrating the process of me verbalizing thoughts.

To end the trend I try to reference it as frequently as I can. No approach deflates a craze like this more emphatically than an teacher striving to get involved.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it helps so that you can avoid just unintentionally stating remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unavoidable, having a firm school behaviour policy and expectations on student conduct really helps, as you can sanction it as you would any different disruption, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Policies are important, but if students accept what the school is practicing, they will remain more focused by the online trends (especially in instructional hours).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, aside from an infrequent quizzical look and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno. I address it in the identical manner I would handle any other disturbance.

Earlier occurred the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a few years ago, and certainly there will appear another craze after this. That’s children’s behavior. When I was childhood, it was performing television personalities impersonations (admittedly away from the learning space).

Young people are unpredictable, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a manner that steers them toward the direction that will get them toward their academic objectives, which, fingers crossed, is coming out with certificates instead of a disciplinary record lengthy for the employment of arbitrary digits.

‘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 same group. It’s like a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an agreed language they possess. I don’t think it has any specific importance 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 banned in my teaching space, however – it triggers a reminder if they exclaim it – identical to any additional calling out is. It’s particularly difficult in numeracy instruction. But my class at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively adherent to the rules, although I appreciate that at secondary [school] it may be a separate situation.

I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and these phenomena last for a few weeks. This phenomenon will diminish in the near future – it invariably occurs, particularly once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it’s no longer cool. Subsequently they will be engaged with the next thing.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was primarily male students saying it. I educated ages 12 to 18 and it was common within the younger pupils. I was unaware its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was just a meme akin to when I was a student.

These trends are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to occur as often in the educational setting. In contrast to ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in class, so students were less prepared to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s simply youth culture. I believe they just want to experience that feeling of community and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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