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Around the UK, learners have been shouting out the phrase “sixseven” during lessons in the newest viral trend to take over classrooms.

Whereas some teachers have chosen to patiently overlook the craze, others have incorporated it. Five educators describe how they’re managing.

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

Earlier in September, I had been speaking with my secondary school class about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me precisely what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I might have delivered an hint at an offensive subject, or that they perceived something in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. A bit frustrated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t mean – I got them to elaborate. Honestly, the explanation they offered didn’t provide greater understanding – I continued to have little comprehension.

What might have caused it to be extra funny was the considering motion I had made while speaking. I later discovered that this frequently goes with ““67”: My purpose was it to aid in demonstrating the action of me speaking my mind.

In order to kill it off I aim to reference it as frequently as I can. No strategy deflates a craze like this more effectively than an adult attempting to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it aids so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the number combination is unavoidable, maintaining a rock-solid school behaviour policy and standards on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any different interruption, but I’ve not really had to do that. Policies are important, but if learners embrace what the educational institution is practicing, they’ll be less distracted by the online trends (particularly in class periods).

With sixseven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, other than for an periodic eyebrow raise and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give focus on it, it transforms into a blaze. I treat it in the same way I would manage any additional interruption.

Earlier occurred the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a different trend following this. This is typical youth activity. When I was childhood, it was imitating comedy characters impersonations (honestly out of the learning space).

Young people are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to react in a approach that guides them toward the course that will get them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is completing their studies with qualifications rather than a behaviour list a mile long for the utilization of random numbers.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Students utilize it like a unifying phrase in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to show they are the identical community. It’s like a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they use. I believe it has any specific significance to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. No matter what the current trend is, they desire to feel part of it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, though – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – just like any other shouting out is. It’s especially difficult in maths lessons. But my students at fifth grade are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite accepting of the guidelines, whereas I understand that at secondary [school] it might be a separate situation.

I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and these phenomena continue for a month or so. This trend will fade away shortly – it invariably occurs, notably once their junior family members begin using it and it stops being trendy. Then they’ll be on to the following phenomenon.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mainly young men saying it. I educated teenagers and it was prevalent within the junior students. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was just a meme similar to when I attended classes.

The crazes are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a well-known trend during the period when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly appear as frequently in the educational setting. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““the skibidi trend” was not scribbled on the board in lessons, so pupils were less prepared to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, trying to empathise with them and appreciate that it is just contemporary trends. I think they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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