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Around the UK, learners have been calling out the words “sixseven” during classes in the newest internet-inspired trend to take over educational institutions.

Whereas some teachers have decided to calmly disregard the phenomenon, different educators have incorporated it. Five educators explain how they’re coping.

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

Earlier in September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade tutor group about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the complete classroom started chuckling. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I had created an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected something in my accent that appeared amusing. Slightly frustrated – but honestly intrigued and aware that they had no intention of being hurtful – I asked them to clarify. To be honest, the clarification they provided didn’t provide much difference – I remained with little comprehension.

What possibly rendered it extra funny was the weighing-up gesture I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this frequently goes with ““67”: I meant it to help convey the action of me speaking my mind.

In order to end the trend I attempt to reference it as often as I can. No approach diminishes a trend like this more thoroughly than an adult striving to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it aids so that you can avoid just unintentionally stating remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is inevitable, having a strong school behaviour policy and requirements on student conduct really helps, as you can address it as you would any different interruption, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Rules are necessary, but if learners embrace what the school is implementing, they’ll be better concentrated by the online trends (particularly in lesson time).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t wasted any teaching periods, aside from an occasional eyebrow raise and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide oxygen to it, it transforms into an inferno. I handle it in the identical manner I would handle any additional disruption.

Previously existed the mathematical meme craze a previous period, and there will no doubt be a different trend after this. It’s what kids do. During my own growing up, it was performing comedy characters impersonations (honestly outside the learning space).

Young people are spontaneous, and In my opinion it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a way that steers them in the direction of the course that will help them where they need to go, which, with luck, is completing their studies with qualifications instead of a behaviour list lengthy for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students employ it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It resembles a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an common expression they share. I believe it has any specific significance to them; they merely recognize it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the newest phenomenon is, they want to be included in it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, though – it triggers a reminder if they exclaim it – similar to any other calling out is. It’s particularly challenging in maths lessons. But my class at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re fairly accepting of the guidelines, whereas I understand that at high school it could be a separate situation.

I have worked as a educator for a decade and a half, and such trends persist for a month or so. This craze will fade away soon – it invariably occurs, notably once their junior family members commence repeating it and it ceases to be fashionable. Subsequently they will be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mainly young men uttering it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread with the less experienced learners. I had no idea what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I was a student.

These trends are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my training school, but it failed to occur as often in the classroom. Differing from ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in lessons, so pupils were less equipped to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. I think they simply desire to feel that sense of togetherness and companionship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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