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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the expression ““six-seven” during instruction in the latest internet-inspired trend to sweep across schools.

Although some educators have chosen to calmly disregard the phenomenon, others have incorporated it. A group of educators share how they’re managing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been addressing my year 11 students about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the complete classroom erupted in laughter. It took me completely by surprise.

My immediate assumption was that I might have delivered an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they detected an element of my accent that sounded funny. Somewhat frustrated – but genuinely curious and aware that they had no intention of being malicious – I persuaded them to explain. To be honest, the explanation they offered failed to create much difference – I continued to have no idea.

What could have caused it to be extra funny was the weighing-up movement I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to end the trend I aim to reference it as frequently as I can. No strategy diminishes a phenomenon like this more effectively than an grown-up attempting to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it assists so that you can prevent just blundering into statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unpreventable, having a strong student discipline system and standards on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any different disruption, but I rarely had to do that. Rules are necessary, but if pupils embrace what the school is implementing, they will remain better concentrated by the internet crazes (especially in instructional hours).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t sacrificed any instructional minutes, aside from an periodic raised eyebrow and saying ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give oxygen to it, it transforms into a blaze. I treat it in the identical manner I would handle any different interruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a while back, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon after this. It’s what kids do. When I was childhood, it was doing comedy characters impersonations (truthfully outside the learning space).

Young people are spontaneous, and In my opinion it falls to the teacher to behave in a manner that guides them in the direction of the course that will get them toward their academic objectives, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with certificates rather than a disciplinary record a mile long for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students utilize it like a unifying phrase in the playground: one says it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the same group. It resembles a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an common expression they possess. I believe it has any particular significance to them; they merely recognize it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the current trend is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, though – it’s a warning if they call it out – similar to any other verbal interruption is. It’s notably tricky in mathematics classes. But my students at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re fairly accepting of the guidelines, whereas I appreciate that at high school it could be a separate situation.

I have worked as a educator for a decade and a half, and these crazes persist for three or four weeks. This craze will fade away in the near future – this consistently happens, especially once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it stops being fashionable. Then they’ll be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was mostly male students uttering it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread with the less experienced learners. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon comparable to when I was a student.

The crazes are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly exist as much in the educational setting. Differing from “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in class, so learners were less equipped to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to understand them and appreciate that it’s merely pop culture. I believe they just want to enjoy that sensation of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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