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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the words “sixseven” during instruction in the most recent internet-inspired craze to sweep across classrooms.

Whereas some teachers have chosen to stoically ignore the phenomenon, different educators have incorporated it. Five teachers explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my secondary school class about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in relation to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It took me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived something in my pronunciation that seemed humorous. A bit annoyed – but truly interested and aware that they had no intention of being malicious – I got them to elaborate. To be honest, the clarification they provided didn’t make greater understanding – I remained with minimal understanding.

What might have caused it to be extra funny was the evaluating movement I had performed during speaking. I later found out that this frequently goes with “six-seven”: I had intended it to help convey the process of me thinking aloud.

In order to eliminate it I aim to mention it as often as I can. Nothing diminishes a trend like this more emphatically than an grown-up trying to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it aids so that you can avoid just accidentally making comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is inevitable, having a firm student discipline system and expectations on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any additional disturbance, but I rarely been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if learners buy into what the educational institution is practicing, they will become less distracted by the viral phenomena (especially in lesson time).

With sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any instructional minutes, aside from an infrequent eyebrow raise and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide attention to it, it evolves into a blaze. I address it in the same way I would manage any additional disturbance.

Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a while back, and there will no doubt be another craze after this. It’s what kids do. When I was childhood, it was imitating television personalities impressions (admittedly outside the classroom).

Young people are unpredictable, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a approach that guides them back to the direction that will enable them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is coming out with academic achievements rather than a behaviour list a mile long for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children employ it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: a student calls it and the others respond to show they are the same group. It’s similar to a verbal exchange or a football chant – an common expression they possess. I don’t think it has any particular meaning to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the latest craze is, they want to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – identical to any other calling out is. It’s particularly tricky in mathematics classes. But my students at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively accepting of the rules, whereas I recognize that at teen education it might be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a teacher for 15 years, and these crazes persist for a few weeks. This craze will fade away in the near future – it invariably occurs, particularly once their junior family members begin using it and it ceases to be trendy. Then they’ll be on to the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a foreign language school. It was mostly male students uttering it. I instructed teenagers and it was widespread within the younger pupils. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I understood it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was at school.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly occur as often in the classroom. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in class, so learners were less equipped to adopt it.

I just ignore it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to empathise with them and understand that it is just youth culture. In my opinion they just want to feel that sense of community and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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