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Across the UK, learners have been calling out the phrase “sixseven” during classes in the newest viral trend to take over classrooms.

While some educators have chosen to calmly disregard the phenomenon, others have accepted it. Five instructors explain how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade class about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re working to results six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It took me totally off guard.

My immediate assumption was that I might have delivered an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard a quality in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Somewhat exasperated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t trying to be hurtful – I got them to explain. To be honest, the explanation they then gave didn’t provide greater understanding – I still had no idea.

What possibly rendered it extra funny was the considering motion I had executed while speaking. I later discovered that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the action of me speaking my mind.

To eliminate it I attempt to mention it as much as I can. No approach diminishes a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an grown-up striving to join in.

‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’

Understanding it aids so that you can prevent just accidentally making remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is inevitable, having a strong school behaviour policy and expectations on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any other interruption, but I rarely been required to take that action. Policies are important, but if students accept what the school is practicing, they will remain more focused by the viral phenomena (particularly in class periods).

With six-seven, I haven’t lost any lesson time, other than for an occasional eyebrow raise and saying “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide focus on it, then it becomes a blaze. I handle it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any other interruption.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one phenomenon a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze after this. It’s what kids do. Back when I was childhood, it was performing comedy characters impressions (truthfully outside the learning space).

Children are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to behave in a way that redirects them in the direction of the course that will get them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is graduating with qualifications instead of a disciplinary record a mile long for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners employ it like a connecting expression in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the same group. It resembles a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they possess. In my view it has any specific importance to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, though – it’s a warning if they call it out – just like any different shouting out is. It’s particularly tricky in maths lessons. But my class at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re relatively compliant with the guidelines, while I understand that at teen education it may be a distinct scenario.

I’ve been a instructor for fifteen years, and such trends persist for a month or so. This craze will die out shortly – this consistently happens, notably once their junior family members start saying it and it ceases to be fashionable. Then they’ll be engaged with the next thing.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mainly male students uttering it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread with the less experienced learners. I was unaware its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was just a meme comparable to when I was a student.

The crazes are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to appear as frequently in the classroom. Differing from ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the chalkboard in lessons, so learners were less able to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply youth culture. I believe they simply desire to feel that sense of belonging and friendship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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