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Across the UK, school pupils have been calling out the words ““six-seven” during instruction in the newest internet-inspired craze to sweep across schools.

Although some teachers have chosen to stoically ignore the craze, others have incorporated it. Five instructors describe how they’re managing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Earlier in September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade students about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in reference to, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It surprised me completely by surprise.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an reference to something rude, or that they’d heard an element of my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Slightly frustrated – but genuinely curious and conscious that they had no intention of being mean – I got them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the explanation they then gave didn’t provide much difference – I continued to have little comprehension.

What might have caused it to be particularly humorous was the considering gesture I had made while speaking. I have since discovered that this typically pairs with ““67”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the process of me speaking my mind.

In order to eliminate it I attempt to reference it as often as I can. No approach diminishes a phenomenon like this more thoroughly than an teacher trying to join in.

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

Being aware of it helps so that you can prevent just accidentally making comments like “well, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unpreventable, maintaining a strong classroom conduct rules and requirements on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can address it as you would any other disturbance, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Policies are one thing, but if learners accept what the school is practicing, they will remain better concentrated by the internet crazes (particularly in instructional hours).

Regarding 67, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, other than for an infrequent eyebrow raise and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide oxygen to it, it transforms into a wildfire. I handle it in the same way I would manage any different interruption.

There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one trend a previous period, and there will no doubt be another craze subsequently. That’s children’s behavior. During my own youth, it was doing comedy characters impressions (truthfully away from the learning space).

Young people are unforeseeable, and I believe it falls to the teacher to react in a way that steers them toward the course that will get them toward their academic objectives, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with certificates rather than a behaviour list a mile long for the use of random numbers.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners employ it like a connecting expression in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It resembles a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an common expression they use. In my view it has any specific importance to them; they merely recognize it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they desire to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, though – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – identical to any additional verbal interruption is. It’s notably tricky in maths lessons. But my class at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re fairly adherent to the rules, whereas I appreciate that at secondary [school] it could be a separate situation.

I have worked as a teacher for a decade and a half, and these crazes last for three or four weeks. This trend will die out in the near future – they always do, particularly once their little brothers and sisters begin using it and it’s no longer cool. Subsequently they will be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mainly male students repeating it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread within the junior students. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I understood it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was at school.

These trends are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really occur as often in the learning environment. Differing from “six-seven”, ““the skibidi trend” was not scribbled on the chalkboard in class, so pupils were less able to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I accidentally say it, striving to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply contemporary trends. I believe they merely seek to experience that feeling of belonging and companionship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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