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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been shouting out the expression “sixseven” during classes in the newest internet-inspired trend to spread through classrooms.

Although some educators have decided to calmly disregard the phenomenon, some have incorporated it. A group of teachers explain how they’re dealing.

‘My initial assumption was that I’d uttered something offensive’

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my year 11 students about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in connection with, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the entire group burst out laughing. It caught me completely by surprise.

My initial reaction was that I had created an reference to an offensive subject, or that they’d heard an element of my accent that seemed humorous. A bit annoyed – but genuinely curious and aware that they had no intention of being hurtful – I persuaded them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the explanation they then gave didn’t provide much difference – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What possibly made it particularly humorous was the considering gesture I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to kill it off I aim to mention it as often as I can. Nothing diminishes a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an teacher striving to get involved.

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

Understanding it aids so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is inevitable, having a strong school behaviour policy and standards on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any different interruption, but I’ve not really had to do that. Policies are necessary, but if students embrace what the school is doing, they will become better concentrated by the online trends (particularly in instructional hours).

Concerning 67, I haven’t wasted any teaching periods, except for an infrequent eyebrow raise and saying ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give focus on it, then it becomes a blaze. I address it in the same way I would treat any different interruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon following this. It’s what kids do. During my own childhood, it was doing television personalities impressions (truthfully away from the school environment).

Young people are spontaneous, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a manner that steers them back to the course that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, hopefully, is completing their studies with qualifications instead of a conduct report lengthy for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children use it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: one says it and the others respond to show they are the identical community. It resembles a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an agreed language they possess. I don’t think it has any particular significance to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. No matter what the current trend is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, however – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – identical to any additional calling out is. It’s especially difficult in numeracy instruction. But my class at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively adherent to the guidelines, whereas I understand that at secondary [school] it might be a separate situation.

I’ve been a teacher for a decade and a half, and such trends last for a few weeks. This trend will diminish shortly – they always do, notably once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it’s no longer trendy. Afterward they shall be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mostly male students saying it. I instructed students from twelve to eighteen and it was common with the junior students. I was unaware its significance at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I was at school.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. ““Skibidi” was a well-known trend back when I was at my training school, but it failed to exist as much in the educational setting. In contrast to ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in class, so learners were less equipped to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to relate to them and appreciate that it’s simply contemporary trends. I believe they just want to experience that feeling of community and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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