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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the expression ““six-seven” during instruction in the newest viral phenomenon to take over classrooms.

While some educators have decided to calmly disregard the trend, others have embraced it. A group of educators describe how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been addressing my year 11 class about studying for their qualification tests in June. I can’t remember exactly what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an reference to an offensive subject, or that they’d heard an element of my pronunciation that seemed humorous. Slightly frustrated – but genuinely curious and aware that they had no intention of being hurtful – I persuaded them to clarify. Honestly, the description they provided didn’t make greater understanding – I still had little comprehension.

What possibly caused it to be especially amusing was the weighing-up gesture I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this frequently goes with ““67”: I had intended it to help convey the process of me speaking my mind.

To end the trend I try to bring it up as often as I can. No strategy deflates a trend like this more effectively than an adult striving to get involved.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Knowing about it helps so that you can steer clear of just blundering into remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the number combination is inevitable, maintaining a rock-solid student discipline system and standards on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can address it as you would any different disruption, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Rules are necessary, but if pupils buy into what the school is practicing, they will remain better concentrated by the viral phenomena (particularly in class periods).

With 67, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, except for an occasional eyebrow raise and saying “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer focus on it, it evolves into a blaze. I treat it in the same way I would handle any additional disruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a previous period, and certainly there will appear another craze after this. This is typical youth activity. During my own childhood, it was performing comedy characters mimicry (truthfully away from the classroom).

Young people are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it falls to the teacher to react in a manner that redirects them back to the course that will get them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is coming out with qualifications rather than a conduct report a mile long for the use of random numbers.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners employ it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to show they are the same group. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an common expression they share. In my view it has any distinct meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they seek to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my teaching space, though – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – identical to any other calling out is. It’s particularly difficult in numeracy instruction. But my pupils at year 5 are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re quite adherent to the guidelines, while I appreciate that at secondary [school] it might be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a instructor for fifteen years, and these crazes last for three or four weeks. This phenomenon will diminish shortly – they always do, notably once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it ceases to be cool. Subsequently they will be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was primarily boys repeating it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread with the junior students. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was simply an internet trend similar to when I attended classes.

These trends are continuously evolving. ““Skibidi” was a well-known trend at the time when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly appear as frequently in the classroom. In contrast to ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the whiteboard in class, so students were less able to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, attempting to understand them and appreciate that it’s merely pop culture. I believe they simply desire to feel that sense of belonging and companionship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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