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Around the UK, school pupils have been calling out the words ““six-seven” during instruction in the latest viral phenomenon to spread through schools.

Although some educators have decided to stoically ignore the phenomenon, others have accepted it. A group of teachers explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade tutor group about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for results six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me totally off guard.

My immediate assumption was that I had created an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived an element of my accent that seemed humorous. Slightly exasperated – but genuinely curious and aware that they weren’t mean – I persuaded them to clarify. Honestly, the description they offered didn’t make significant clarification – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What possibly rendered it especially amusing was the evaluating movement I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: I meant it to assist in expressing the action of me thinking aloud.

To eliminate it I attempt to reference it as frequently as I can. No approach reduces a trend like this more thoroughly than an teacher attempting to join in.

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

Knowing about it helps so that you can prevent just blundering into comments like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the digit pairing is inevitable, possessing a firm student discipline system and requirements on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can address it as you would any additional disruption, but I rarely had to do that. Guidelines are necessary, but if learners buy into what the school is practicing, they will become more focused by the viral phenomena (at least in class periods).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, except for an infrequent eyebrow raise and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give oxygen to it, it evolves into a blaze. I treat it in the same way I would manage any additional disruption.

There was the mathematical meme craze a while back, and there will no doubt be another craze subsequently. It’s what kids do. During my own youth, it was imitating comedy characters impersonations (admittedly outside the classroom).

Students are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it falls to the teacher to react in a manner that guides them in the direction of the path that will get them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with certificates as opposed to a disciplinary record a mile long for the use of random numbers.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children utilize it like a connecting expression in the playground: a student calls it and the other children answer to show they are the equivalent circle. It’s like a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they use. I don’t think it has any specific meaning to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they want to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, however – it triggers a reminder if they exclaim it – identical to any different calling out is. It’s notably tricky in maths lessons. But my class at fifth grade are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively accepting of the rules, whereas I recognize that at secondary [school] it could be a different matter.

I’ve been a instructor for a decade and a half, and such trends continue for a month or so. This craze will diminish in the near future – they always do, notably once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be trendy. Subsequently they will be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a foreign language school. It was mostly boys saying it. I taught teenagers and it was common within the junior students. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was just a meme similar to when I was at school.

These trends are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really occur as often in the educational setting. Unlike ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in class, so learners were less prepared to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to empathise with them and recognize that it is just pop culture. In my opinion they simply desire to experience that feeling of community and friendship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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