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Around the UK, school pupils have been calling out the expression “sixseven” during lessons in the latest internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across classrooms.

Although some educators have chosen to patiently overlook the trend, others have incorporated it. Five educators describe how they’re managing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been addressing my secondary school students about studying for their qualification tests in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for results six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I might have delivered an allusion to something rude, or that they detected something in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Slightly annoyed – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t malicious – I persuaded them to clarify. To be honest, the explanation they provided didn’t provide significant clarification – I remained with little comprehension.

What possibly made it extra funny was the weighing-up gesture I had executed while speaking. I have since learned that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: My purpose was it to help convey the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

With the aim of eliminate it I attempt to bring it up as much as I can. No strategy deflates a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an teacher striving to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it aids so that you can steer clear of just accidentally making remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the digit pairing is unpreventable, possessing a firm student discipline system and standards on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any different disruption, but I’ve not really been required to take that action. Guidelines are one thing, but if students buy into what the school is practicing, they will become more focused by the internet crazes (especially in lesson time).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, other than for an infrequent raised eyebrow and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide oxygen to it, then it becomes a wildfire. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any other disturbance.

Earlier occurred the mathematical meme craze a previous period, and there will no doubt be another craze subsequently. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was growing up, it was doing television personalities impressions (honestly out of the classroom).

Children are spontaneous, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a way that redirects them back to the direction that will enable them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with academic achievements rather than a disciplinary record a mile long for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children employ it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a football chant – an shared vocabulary they possess. I don’t think it has any specific importance to them; they merely recognize it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, though – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – identical to any different verbal interruption is. It’s particularly challenging in maths lessons. But my pupils at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re fairly accepting of the guidelines, although I appreciate that at teen education it could be a distinct scenario.

I have served as a educator for a decade and a half, and these crazes last for three or four weeks. This phenomenon will diminish in the near future – they always do, notably once their younger siblings start saying it and it stops being fashionable. Then they’ll be on to the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was primarily male students saying it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread within the less experienced learners. I had no idea what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was simply an internet trend similar to when I was at school.

Such phenomena are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a well-known trend at the time when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the learning environment. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the board in lessons, so learners were less prepared to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, trying to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. In my opinion they simply desire to feel that sense of community and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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