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Across the UK, learners have been calling out the phrase ““six-seven” during instruction in the most recent meme-based trend to sweep across schools.

Although some educators have opted to stoically ignore the trend, some have accepted it. Five instructors share how they’re coping.

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

During September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade class about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in reference to, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the complete classroom erupted in laughter. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I might have delivered an allusion to something rude, or that they perceived a quality in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. Slightly frustrated – but genuinely curious and mindful that they weren’t trying to be mean – I persuaded them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the explanation they offered didn’t make greater understanding – I still had no idea.

What might have caused it to be especially amusing was the weighing-up movement I had made while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I meant it to help convey the process of me thinking aloud.

In order to kill it off I aim to bring it up as frequently as I can. Nothing reduces a craze like this more thoroughly than an grown-up trying to join in.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it helps so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is unavoidable, having a firm school behaviour policy and standards on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any additional disturbance, but I rarely been required to take that action. Rules are important, but if students embrace what the educational institution is implementing, they’ll be more focused by the internet crazes (at least in lesson time).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, aside from an infrequent eyebrow raise and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide oxygen to it, it evolves into an inferno. I treat it in the same way I would treat any other interruption.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a few years ago, and certainly there will appear another craze subsequently. It’s what kids do. Back when I was youth, it was imitating television personalities mimicry (admittedly out of the learning space).

Students are unpredictable, and I think it’s an adult’s job to react in a manner that steers them in the direction of the course that will help them toward their academic objectives, which, hopefully, is coming out with academic achievements instead of a behaviour list a mile long for the utilization of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children employ it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: a student calls it and the remaining students reply to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It’s like a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they possess. In my view it has any specific importance to them; they merely recognize it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the newest phenomenon is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, though – it triggers a reminder if they exclaim it – just like any different verbal interruption is. It’s especially tricky in mathematics classes. But my class at year 5 are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly compliant with the rules, whereas I understand that at secondary [school] it may be a separate situation.

I have worked as a instructor for fifteen years, and such trends persist for a month or so. This phenomenon will fade away soon – this consistently happens, especially once their junior family members start saying it and it ceases to be cool. Then they’ll be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a language institute. It was primarily male students uttering it. I instructed students from twelve to eighteen and it was prevalent within the less experienced learners. I had no idea its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was simply an internet trend similar to when I attended classes.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. ““Toilet meme” was a well-known trend during the period when I was at my training school, but it failed to occur as often in the classroom. Differing from ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was never written on the whiteboard in class, so students were less equipped to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, trying to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s merely pop culture. I believe they just want to feel that sense of togetherness and companionship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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