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Around the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the expression “sixseven” during instruction in the newest viral craze to sweep across educational institutions.

While some educators have opted to calmly disregard the phenomenon, some have embraced it. Five teachers describe how they’re managing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Earlier in September, I had been addressing my secondary school students about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in relation to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group burst out laughing. It caught me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an hint at an offensive subject, or that they detected something in my accent that appeared amusing. Slightly exasperated – but truly interested and conscious that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I asked them to elaborate. Honestly, the explanation they provided failed to create greater understanding – I still had little comprehension.

What possibly rendered it extra funny was the evaluating movement I had performed during speaking. I later found out that this often accompanies ““67”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

With the aim of eliminate it I aim to bring it up as much as I can. No strategy reduces a trend like this more effectively than an teacher attempting to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it helps so that you can prevent just blundering into remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is unpreventable, having a firm school behaviour policy and expectations on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can address it as you would any other disturbance, but I’ve not really been required to take that action. Policies are important, but if pupils embrace what the educational institution is doing, they will become more focused by the online trends (especially in instructional hours).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t lost any lesson time, aside from an occasional eyebrow raise and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide attention to it, it evolves into a blaze. I handle it in the same way I would treat any additional interruption.

Earlier occurred the mathematical meme phenomenon a previous period, and there will no doubt be another craze subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. During my own youth, it was doing Kevin and Perry impressions (admittedly outside the school environment).

Students are unpredictable, and I believe it falls to the teacher to react in a manner that guides them back to the direction that will get them where they need to go, which, with luck, is completing their studies with qualifications rather than a conduct report a mile long for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners utilize it like a bonding chant in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It resembles a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they possess. I don’t think it has any distinct significance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. Whatever the newest phenomenon is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – identical to any other verbal interruption is. It’s especially difficult in numeracy instruction. But my pupils at fifth grade are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly accepting of the regulations, while I understand that at teen education it may be a distinct scenario.

I have served as a teacher for a decade and a half, and these crazes last for three or four weeks. This trend will die out in the near future – they always do, particularly once their junior family members start saying it and it stops being fashionable. Then they’ll be focused on the next thing.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a language institute. It was primarily boys saying it. I taught teenagers and it was prevalent among the less experienced learners. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was just a meme comparable to when I attended classes.

The crazes are continuously evolving. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly occur as often in the classroom. Differing from ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in instruction, so learners were less able to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to empathise with them and understand that it is just youth culture. In my opinion they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of community and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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