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Around the UK, learners have been calling out the words ““six-seven” during classes in the most recent internet-inspired trend to sweep across classrooms.

While some educators have chosen to calmly disregard the trend, some have incorporated it. A group of educators describe how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been talking to my year 11 tutor group about studying for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me precisely what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I might have delivered an allusion to something rude, or that they perceived an element of my pronunciation that seemed humorous. Slightly frustrated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t hurtful – I asked them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the explanation they provided didn’t make greater understanding – I remained with little comprehension.

What might have caused it to be extra funny was the evaluating motion I had executed while speaking. I have since found out that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: My purpose was it to aid in demonstrating the process of me speaking my mind.

With the aim of eliminate it I aim to mention it as much as I can. No strategy diminishes a trend like this more effectively than an adult attempting to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it aids so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the numerical sequence is unavoidable, having a strong classroom conduct rules and expectations on student conduct is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any different disruption, but I rarely been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if students embrace what the school is implementing, they’ll be less distracted by the online trends (at least in class periods).

With 67, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, aside from an occasional quizzical look and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give attention to it, then it becomes a wildfire. I treat it in the same way I would manage any different disruption.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a while back, and there will no doubt be a different trend after this. That’s children’s behavior. Back when I was childhood, it was doing Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly away from the classroom).

Children are unpredictable, and I believe it falls to the teacher to respond in a way that steers them toward the course that will help them where they need to go, which, with luck, is coming out with qualifications instead of a disciplinary record lengthy for the utilization of meaningless numerals.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Students employ it like a unifying phrase in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to show they are the same group. It resembles a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an common expression they use. In my view it has any specific significance to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what the newest phenomenon is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, however – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – similar to any different calling out is. It’s particularly challenging in numeracy instruction. But my class at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re quite adherent to the guidelines, whereas I appreciate that at teen education it could be a separate situation.

I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and such trends persist for a month or so. This trend will diminish in the near future – this consistently happens, especially once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be trendy. Afterward they shall be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I started noticing it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was primarily male students uttering it. I instructed teenagers and it was widespread within the junior students. I was unaware its significance at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was simply an internet trend similar to when I attended classes.

These trends are continuously evolving. ““Skibidi” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t really exist as much in the learning environment. Unlike “six-seven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in instruction, so students were less prepared to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, striving to empathise with them and understand that it’s merely contemporary trends. In my opinion they simply desire to experience that feeling of belonging and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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