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Throughout the UK, learners have been exclaiming the expression “sixseven” during instruction in the most recent internet-inspired craze to take over educational institutions.

Whereas some teachers have decided to patiently overlook the craze, others have accepted it. A group of instructors share how they’re managing.

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

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my year 11 students about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me precisely what it was in reference to, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group burst out laughing. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard a quality in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. A bit frustrated – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t mean – I persuaded them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the explanation they provided failed to create greater understanding – I still had little comprehension.

What might have rendered it particularly humorous was the weighing-up movement I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I discovered that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: My purpose was it to help convey the action of me speaking my mind.

In order to end the trend I attempt to mention it as frequently as I can. No approach reduces a craze like this more emphatically than an adult trying to join in.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it helps so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. If the numerical sequence is unavoidable, having a strong school behaviour policy and requirements on student conduct is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any other interruption, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Policies are necessary, but if learners accept what the learning environment is implementing, they will remain better concentrated by the internet crazes (especially in lesson time).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t wasted any teaching periods, aside from an occasional raised eyebrow and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer attention to it, it evolves into a blaze. I treat it in the identical manner I would manage any additional interruption.

Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge a different trend following this. That’s children’s behavior. During my own childhood, it was performing Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly away from the learning space).

Young people are unpredictable, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a manner that steers them back to the course that will help them where they need to go, which, with luck, is graduating with qualifications instead of a conduct report lengthy for the employment of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners employ it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to show they are the identical community. It’s like a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they use. I don’t think it has any specific meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, however – it’s a warning if they call it out – similar to any additional calling out is. It’s particularly tricky in maths lessons. But my class at fifth grade are children aged nine to ten, so they’re fairly adherent to the regulations, whereas I understand that at high school it could be a different matter.

I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and these crazes continue for three or four weeks. This trend will diminish in the near future – this consistently happens, particularly once their junior family members commence repeating it and it’s no longer trendy. Afterward they shall be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mainly male students repeating it. I instructed teenagers and it was common among the younger pupils. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was just a meme akin to when I attended classes.

These trends are constantly changing. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme back when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly appear as frequently in the educational setting. Differing from “six-seven”, ““the skibidi trend” was never written on the whiteboard in class, so learners were less prepared to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, trying to relate to them and understand that it’s merely contemporary trends. In my opinion they just want to experience that feeling of community and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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