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Across the UK, learners have been exclaiming the expression “sixseven” during instruction in the most recent viral trend to sweep across educational institutions.

Although some teachers have opted to calmly disregard the craze, some have accepted it. A group of teachers describe how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Earlier in September, I had been speaking with my secondary school tutor group about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It caught me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an allusion to something rude, or that they’d heard something in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. A bit frustrated – but genuinely curious and mindful that they had no intention of being mean – I persuaded them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the explanation they offered failed to create significant clarification – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What could have caused it to be particularly humorous was the considering motion I had performed during speaking. I later learned that this often accompanies “six-seven”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the process of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of eliminate it I attempt to mention it as much as I can. Nothing reduces a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an grown-up striving to join in.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it helps so that you can prevent just blundering into statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the digit pairing is unpreventable, having a rock-solid student discipline system and standards on student conduct is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any other disturbance, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Guidelines are necessary, but if learners buy into what the educational institution is doing, they will remain less distracted by the viral phenomena (particularly in class periods).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, aside from an occasional eyebrow raise and saying ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide attention to it, then it becomes an inferno. I handle it in the same way I would treat any other interruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a few years ago, and there will no doubt be a different trend subsequently. This is typical youth activity. When I was growing up, it was imitating comedy characters impersonations (honestly away from the school environment).

Children are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to respond in a manner that redirects them toward the course that will enable them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is graduating with certificates instead of a conduct report a mile long for the use of random numbers.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Students utilize it like a unifying phrase in the playground: one says it and the others respond to show they are the same group. It resembles a call-and-response or a football chant – 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 current trend is, they want to feel part of it.

It’s forbidden in my learning environment, however – it’s a warning if they shout it out – identical to any other calling out is. It’s particularly tricky in maths lessons. But my class at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re fairly compliant with the rules, although I appreciate that at high school it could be a different matter.

I’ve been a educator for 15 years, and such trends continue for a month or so. This trend will fade away in the near future – it invariably occurs, notably once their junior family members commence repeating it and it’s no longer cool. Subsequently they will be focused on the next thing.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mainly young men uttering it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was common within the less experienced learners. I didn’t understand its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I understood it was just a meme comparable to when I attended classes.

The crazes are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly occur as often in the educational setting. In contrast to ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the board in class, so pupils were less able to adopt it.

I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, striving to empathise with them and understand that it is just pop culture. I think they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of community and companionship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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