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Across the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the expression “sixseven” during lessons in the newest meme-based trend to sweep across educational institutions.

While some teachers have chosen to stoically ignore the phenomenon, others have embraced it. Several teachers share how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been talking to my secondary school students about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me precisely what it was in relation to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re working to results six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It surprised me completely by surprise.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an allusion to something rude, or that they’d heard something in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. A bit frustrated – but genuinely curious and aware that they had no intention of being mean – I persuaded them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the explanation they then gave failed to create much difference – I still had no idea.

What possibly rendered it particularly humorous was the weighing-up motion I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this typically pairs with ““67”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to end the trend I try to mention it as often as I can. No strategy reduces a craze like this more emphatically than an adult striving to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it aids so that you can prevent just accidentally making remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the number combination is unpreventable, having a rock-solid student discipline system and expectations on student conduct is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any additional disturbance, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Policies are necessary, but if learners accept what the educational institution is practicing, they will become less distracted by the viral phenomena (at least in instructional hours).

With sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, except for an periodic eyebrow raise and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer oxygen to it, it transforms into a blaze. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any different disturbance.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze after this. It’s what kids do. Back when I was youth, it was performing comedy characters impersonations (admittedly outside the classroom).

Young people are unpredictable, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a approach that steers them toward the course that will help them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with academic achievements instead of a disciplinary record lengthy for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children use it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: one says it and the remaining students reply to show they are the same group. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a football chant – an agreed language they possess. I believe it has any distinct importance to them; they merely recognize it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – just like any additional calling out is. It’s especially challenging in maths lessons. But my class at fifth grade are pre-teens, so they’re quite adherent to the guidelines, although I understand that at high school it could be a different matter.

I have served as a teacher for fifteen years, and these crazes persist for a month or so. This craze will fade away shortly – it invariably occurs, especially once their little brothers and sisters begin using it and it ceases to be trendy. Then they’ll be engaged with the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a international school. It was mainly boys uttering it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was common with the younger pupils. I was unaware its significance at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was just a meme comparable to when I attended classes.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really exist as much in the classroom. Unlike ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the whiteboard in lessons, so learners were less able to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, striving to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s simply contemporary trends. In my opinion they merely seek to experience that feeling of belonging and companionship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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