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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the expression ““six-seven” during classes in the most recent viral craze to spread through educational institutions.

Although some educators have chosen to patiently overlook the craze, different educators have embraced it. Five educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been addressing my secondary school tutor group about getting ready for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It caught me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I had created an hint at something rude, or that they detected an element of my accent that appeared amusing. A bit frustrated – but truly interested and aware that they weren’t mean – I asked them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the clarification they offered failed to create significant clarification – I remained with minimal understanding.

What could have made it extra funny was the evaluating movement I had executed while speaking. I have since learned that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I had intended it to help convey the act of me thinking aloud.

In order to eliminate it I aim to mention it as much as I can. Nothing deflates a trend like this more emphatically than an grown-up attempting to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it helps so that you can avoid just blundering into remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the numerical sequence is unpreventable, possessing a rock-solid student discipline system and requirements on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can address it as you would any additional disturbance, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are important, but if pupils embrace what the educational institution is doing, they will remain less distracted by the internet crazes (especially in class periods).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t wasted any teaching periods, except for an periodic eyebrow raise and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide oxygen to it, it transforms into an inferno. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any different interruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a previous period, and certainly there will appear a new phenomenon following this. It’s what kids do. When I was growing up, it was doing Kevin and Perry impersonations (admittedly away from the learning space).

Children are spontaneous, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a manner that redirects them back to the path that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, hopefully, is graduating with academic achievements as opposed to a disciplinary record a mile long for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners use it like a connecting expression in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a football chant – an common expression they share. I believe it has any specific significance to them; they just know it’s a thing to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s banned in my learning environment, though – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – identical to any additional verbal interruption is. It’s especially tricky in numeracy instruction. But my students at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively adherent to the rules, although I appreciate that at high school it could be a different matter.

I have served as a teacher for 15 years, and these phenomena persist for a few weeks. This craze will die out in the near future – they always do, especially once their junior family members start saying it and it stops being fashionable. Then they’ll be focused on the following phenomenon.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was mainly young men repeating it. I educated teenagers and it was prevalent with the younger pupils. I had no idea its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. ““Skibidi” was a well-known trend back when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly exist as much in the educational setting. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in instruction, so learners were less able to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I inadvertently mention it, striving to understand them and understand that it’s simply youth culture. In my opinion they merely seek to feel that sense of community and camaraderie.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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