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Around the UK, students have been calling out the expression “sixseven” during instruction in the latest meme-based trend to spread through classrooms.

Whereas some instructors have chosen to stoically ignore the craze, others have accepted it. Five instructors describe how they’re managing.

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

Back in September, I had been speaking with my secondary school tutor group about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It surprised me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I had created an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard something in my speech pattern that sounded funny. A bit annoyed – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t malicious – I persuaded them to explain. Honestly, the description they then gave didn’t provide greater understanding – I still had no idea.

What possibly rendered it extra funny was the evaluating movement I had performed during speaking. I have since found out that this typically pairs with ““67”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the action of me verbalizing thoughts.

To end the trend I aim to reference it as frequently as I can. No strategy reduces a craze like this more effectively than an grown-up striving to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it helps so that you can steer clear of just accidentally making remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is unavoidable, having a strong school behaviour policy and requirements on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any additional disruption, but I rarely been required to take that action. Policies are one thing, but if pupils accept what the learning environment is practicing, they will become better concentrated by the viral phenomena (especially in class periods).

Regarding 67, I haven’t sacrificed any instructional minutes, except for an infrequent eyebrow raise and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer oxygen to it, it evolves into a blaze. I address it in the same way I would handle any other disturbance.

Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge a different trend after this. It’s what kids do. Back when I was youth, it was doing comedy characters impressions (admittedly out of the learning space).

Young people are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to respond in a way that steers them back to the direction that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, hopefully, is coming out with qualifications rather than a disciplinary record a mile long for the utilization of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners use it like a connecting expression in the playground: a student calls it and the remaining students reply to show they are the same group. It resembles a verbal exchange or a football chant – an common expression they possess. I believe it has any particular significance to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they want to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – just like any other calling out is. It’s especially tricky in mathematics classes. But my class at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite adherent to the rules, whereas I appreciate that at high school it could be a different matter.

I have served as a educator for fifteen years, and these phenomena persist for a month or so. This phenomenon will diminish soon – they always do, notably once their little brothers and sisters start saying it and it stops being fashionable. Afterward they shall be on to the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was mainly boys saying it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread among the junior students. I had no idea what it was at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to appear as frequently in the educational setting. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the chalkboard in class, so students were less able to adopt it.

I typically overlook it, or periodically I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, trying to understand them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. I think they merely seek to feel that sense of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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