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Throughout the UK, students have been shouting out the expression “sixseven” during instruction in the most recent meme-based trend to take over educational institutions.

While some educators have decided to patiently overlook the phenomenon, some have accepted it. Five educators share how they’re managing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Earlier in September, I had been speaking with my secondary school tutor group about studying for their qualification tests in June. I can’t remember specifically what it was in connection with, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for 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 offensive subject, or that they detected something in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. A bit exasperated – but genuinely curious and aware that they weren’t malicious – I persuaded them to elaborate. Honestly, the description they offered didn’t provide greater understanding – I continued to have little comprehension.

What might have rendered it extra funny was the considering motion I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this often accompanies ““67”: I had intended it to aid in demonstrating the process of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of end the trend I attempt to bring it up as often as I can. No approach diminishes a phenomenon like this more thoroughly than an adult attempting to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it aids so that you can prevent just accidentally making remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unavoidable, possessing a firm classroom conduct rules and standards on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any other interruption, but I rarely needed to implement that. Guidelines are necessary, but if learners embrace what the school is doing, they will remain better concentrated by the viral phenomena (at least in instructional hours).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t wasted any teaching periods, except for an infrequent quizzical look and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide focus on it, it evolves into a wildfire. I address it in the same way I would treat any other disturbance.

Earlier occurred the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge a different trend after this. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was youth, it was doing television personalities impersonations (truthfully outside the school environment).

Young people are unpredictable, and I think it falls to the teacher to behave in a approach that steers them toward the path that will get them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is coming out with qualifications as opposed to a conduct report a mile long for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students utilize it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: one says it and the others respond to show they are the same group. It resembles a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they possess. I don’t think it has any distinct meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the current trend is, they want to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, though – it results in a caution if they call it out – identical to any different verbal interruption is. It’s particularly challenging in mathematics classes. But my students at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re fairly compliant with the regulations, whereas I recognize that at high school it may be a distinct scenario.

I have served as a teacher for 15 years, and such trends last for a month or so. This phenomenon will fade away soon – this consistently happens, notably once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be trendy. Afterward they shall be focused on the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was mainly young men repeating it. I educated teenagers and it was widespread within the junior students. I had no idea its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was simply an internet trend similar to when I attended classes.

These trends are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t really exist as much in the educational setting. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the board in class, so students were less able to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, attempting to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s merely youth culture. In my opinion they just want to feel that sense of community and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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