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Across the UK, learners have been calling out the words “sixseven” during classes in the most recent viral phenomenon to sweep across educational institutions.

Whereas some teachers have opted to patiently overlook the craze, some have embraced it. Five educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been speaking with my secondary school students about getting ready for their qualification tests in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard a quality in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Somewhat annoyed – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they weren’t trying to be hurtful – I persuaded them to elaborate. Honestly, the explanation they then gave failed to create greater understanding – I continued to have little comprehension.

What might have made it especially amusing was the considering gesture I had performed during speaking. I have since found out that this frequently goes with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to help convey the act of me thinking aloud.

In order to eliminate it I try to reference it as much as I can. No strategy reduces a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an adult attempting to join in.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Knowing about it assists so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. If the numerical sequence is unpreventable, possessing a rock-solid school behaviour policy and requirements on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any different interruption, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if students accept what the educational institution is practicing, they’ll be better concentrated by the viral phenomena (at least in class periods).

With sixseven, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, except for an occasional quizzical look and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide oxygen to it, it transforms into a wildfire. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would manage any additional disturbance.

Previously existed the nine plus ten equals twenty-one phenomenon a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. When I was growing up, it was performing television personalities impersonations (admittedly out of the learning space).

Students are unforeseeable, and I think it falls to the teacher to behave in a manner that redirects them toward the course that will get them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is coming out with academic achievements instead of a behaviour list lengthy for the utilization of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners use it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: one says it and the other children answer to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It resembles a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they share. I don’t think it has any specific meaning to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they want to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, though – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – identical to any different verbal interruption is. It’s especially challenging in maths lessons. But my class at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re quite compliant with the guidelines, whereas I appreciate that at secondary [school] it could be a separate situation.

I have served as a instructor for a decade and a half, and these phenomena continue for a month or so. This phenomenon will diminish soon – this consistently happens, notably once their younger siblings start saying it and it ceases to be trendy. Then they’ll be on to the next thing.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was mostly boys saying it. I instructed teenagers and it was prevalent among the junior students. I didn’t understand its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was a student.

The crazes are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really exist as much in the classroom. Unlike ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was not scribbled on the board in class, so pupils were less prepared to embrace it.

I just ignore it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, trying to relate to them and appreciate that it’s simply youth culture. I think they just want to enjoy that sensation of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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