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Around the UK, school pupils have been calling out the expression “sixseven” during instruction in the newest internet-inspired craze to take over educational institutions.

Although some educators have opted to stoically ignore the phenomenon, different educators have embraced it. Several teachers describe how they’re managing.

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

During September, I had been speaking with my secondary school tutor group about getting ready for their qualification tests in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I had created an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived something in my accent that sounded funny. Slightly frustrated – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t trying to be hurtful – I persuaded them to elaborate. To be honest, the description they offered failed to create significant clarification – I still had minimal understanding.

What could have caused it to be extra funny was the considering motion I had executed while speaking. I later discovered that this frequently goes with “six-seven”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the action of me verbalizing thoughts.

To kill it off I try to bring it up as often as I can. No approach reduces a trend like this more emphatically than an adult striving to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it aids so that you can avoid just unintentionally stating statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unpreventable, having a firm classroom conduct rules and requirements on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any different disturbance, but I’ve not really had to do that. Rules are necessary, but if learners embrace what the learning environment is implementing, they will remain better concentrated by the viral phenomena (particularly in class periods).

With six-seven, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, except for an occasional quizzical look and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. If you give oxygen to it, it transforms into an inferno. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any additional disruption.

Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a while back, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon after this. It’s what kids do. When I was growing up, it was doing Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly out of the school environment).

Students are unforeseeable, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a way that guides them toward the path that will get them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with academic achievements instead of a behaviour list a mile long for the use of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students employ it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: one says it and the other children answer to show they are the identical community. It resembles a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an common expression they possess. In my view it has any specific importance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they seek to be included in it.

It’s banned in my learning environment, though – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – just like any additional verbal interruption is. It’s especially challenging in mathematics classes. But my pupils at fifth grade are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly accepting of the rules, whereas I appreciate that at high school it could be a different matter.

I have worked as a instructor for fifteen years, and these phenomena last for three or four weeks. This craze will fade away shortly – this consistently happens, notably once their junior family members commence repeating it and it ceases to be trendy. Subsequently they will be focused on the next thing.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was primarily boys saying it. I taught teenagers and it was widespread among the junior students. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon comparable to when I attended classes.

The crazes are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the learning environment. In contrast to ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in class, so learners were less prepared to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, striving to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s simply youth culture. I think they just want to feel that sense of community and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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