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Throughout the UK, students have been exclaiming the expression ““six-seven” during instruction in the most recent viral phenomenon to spread through schools.

While some educators have decided to calmly disregard the trend, different educators have incorporated it. Five educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been addressing my year 11 tutor group about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My immediate assumption was that I had created an reference to an offensive subject, or that they detected an element of my accent that sounded funny. Somewhat frustrated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they had no intention of being hurtful – I got them to elaborate. To be honest, the explanation they then gave didn’t provide significant clarification – I remained with little comprehension.

What could have rendered it especially amusing was the considering motion I had made while speaking. Subsequently I discovered that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: I meant it to assist in expressing the action of me thinking aloud.

To kill it off I try to reference it as frequently as I can. No strategy deflates a craze like this more effectively than an teacher trying to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it aids so that you can prevent just accidentally making remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 million unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is unpreventable, maintaining a rock-solid student discipline system and expectations on student conduct is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any different disturbance, but I’ve not really had to do that. Guidelines are necessary, but if students buy into what the educational institution is practicing, they will become less distracted by the internet crazes (at least in lesson time).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, aside from an occasional eyebrow raise and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide focus on it, it evolves into an inferno. I address it in the same way I would manage any additional disruption.

There was the mathematical meme phenomenon a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a new phenomenon following this. It’s what kids do. Back when I was growing up, it was doing Kevin and Perry impersonations (honestly away from the classroom).

Young people are unforeseeable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to react in a way that guides them in the direction of the direction that will enable them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is coming out with qualifications as opposed to a disciplinary record extensive for the utilization of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners utilize it like a connecting expression in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the identical community. It’s similar to a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an agreed language they possess. I don’t think it has any distinct significance to them; they just know it’s a thing to say. Whatever the latest craze is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, though – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – similar to any additional shouting out is. It’s notably tricky in maths lessons. But my class at fifth grade are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly adherent to the guidelines, whereas I understand that at teen education it might be a different matter.

I’ve been a teacher for 15 years, and such trends persist for three or four weeks. This trend will fade away shortly – they always do, especially once their junior family members commence repeating it and it ceases to be cool. Afterward they shall be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while instructing in English at a international school. It was mostly young men repeating it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent among the junior students. I didn’t understand its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I attended classes.

These trends are always shifting. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly exist as much in the educational setting. In contrast to “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the whiteboard in instruction, so pupils were less prepared to adopt it.

I just ignore it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply contemporary trends. In my opinion they just want to experience that feeling of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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