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Across the UK, learners have been exclaiming the expression ““six-seven” during lessons in the latest viral craze to take over schools.

While some educators have chosen to patiently overlook the phenomenon, different educators have accepted it. Five teachers describe how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade class about getting ready for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in connection with, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It surprised me totally off guard.

My first thought was that I’d made an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected something in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Slightly exasperated – but genuinely curious and mindful that they had no intention of being hurtful – I asked them to explain. To be honest, the clarification they provided didn’t make greater understanding – I still had no idea.

What might have caused it to be particularly humorous was the evaluating gesture I had performed during speaking. I have since found out that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: My purpose was it to aid in demonstrating the act of me speaking my mind.

With the aim of end the trend I try to mention it as often as I can. No approach diminishes a trend like this more thoroughly than an adult attempting to join in.

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

Knowing about it helps so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating comments like “well, there were 6, 7 million unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unavoidable, maintaining a rock-solid school behaviour policy and expectations on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any other disruption, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Policies are one thing, but if learners buy into what the learning environment is doing, they will remain more focused by the internet crazes (especially in class periods).

Concerning 67, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, aside from an infrequent eyebrow raise and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide attention to it, then it becomes a blaze. I treat it in the same way I would handle any different disturbance.

Previously existed the mathematical meme craze a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon subsequently. It’s what kids do. During my own youth, it was imitating Kevin and Perry impressions (admittedly outside the school environment).

Children are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to behave in a manner that steers them in the direction of the direction that will enable them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with academic achievements rather than a behaviour list extensive for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners employ it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: one says it and the other children answer to show they are the equivalent circle. It resembles a call-and-response or a football chant – an common expression they possess. In my view it has any particular importance to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the newest phenomenon is, they seek to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, nevertheless – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – identical to any additional calling out is. It’s particularly tricky in numeracy instruction. But my pupils at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re fairly adherent to the regulations, whereas I appreciate that at secondary [school] it may be a separate situation.

I have served as a educator for 15 years, and these phenomena persist for three or four weeks. This craze will diminish soon – it invariably occurs, particularly once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be fashionable. Subsequently they will be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was primarily young men uttering it. I instructed students from twelve to eighteen and it was prevalent with the junior students. I was unaware its significance at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really occur as often in the classroom. Differing from ““67”, ““the skibidi trend” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in class, so learners were less prepared to adopt it.

I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I accidentally say it, trying to empathise with them and understand that it is just pop culture. I believe they just want to feel that sense of togetherness and companionship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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