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Around the UK, school pupils have been calling out the words ““six-seven” during lessons in the most recent internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across classrooms.

Although some teachers have decided to patiently overlook the trend, some have accepted it. A group of educators describe how they’re managing.

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

Earlier in September, I had been speaking with my secondary school students about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re working to results six, seven …” and the complete classroom erupted in laughter. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I had created an reference to something rude, or that they’d heard something in my speech pattern that sounded funny. A bit exasperated – but truly interested and aware that they weren’t malicious – I got them to explain. Frankly speaking, the clarification they offered didn’t provide greater understanding – I remained with minimal understanding.

What possibly rendered it extra funny was the evaluating gesture I had made while speaking. I later found out that this frequently goes with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to help convey the action of me speaking my mind.

To end the trend I aim to bring it up as much as I can. Nothing deflates a craze like this more effectively than an grown-up striving to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it aids so that you can prevent just accidentally making comments like “for example, there existed 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unpreventable, maintaining a rock-solid student discipline system and standards on student conduct really helps, as you can address it as you would any different disturbance, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are important, but if students buy into what the learning environment is implementing, they’ll be better concentrated by the internet crazes (at least in instructional hours).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, aside from an infrequent raised eyebrow and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give attention to it, then it becomes an inferno. I treat it in the same way I would manage any other interruption.

Earlier occurred the mathematical meme phenomenon a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a new phenomenon subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. During my own childhood, it was imitating comedy characters mimicry (admittedly outside the school environment).

Young people are spontaneous, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to respond in a approach that redirects them toward the direction that will help them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is completing their studies with certificates rather than a disciplinary record extensive for the employment of random numbers.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children employ it like a connecting expression in the playground: a student calls it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It resembles a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an common expression they possess. I believe it has any particular significance to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Whatever the newest phenomenon is, they want to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, however – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – just like any additional verbal interruption is. It’s particularly difficult in maths lessons. But my students at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re quite adherent to the regulations, while I recognize that at high school it might be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a educator for fifteen years, and these phenomena persist for a few weeks. This trend will diminish in the near future – this consistently happens, particularly once their junior family members begin using it and it stops being cool. Then they’ll be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a language institute. It was mainly male students saying it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread with the less experienced learners. I had no idea its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon comparable to when I was at school.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a well-known trend back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the classroom. Differing from ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in lessons, so pupils were less prepared to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I accidentally say it, attempting to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. I think they simply desire to feel that sense of community and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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