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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the expression “sixseven” during lessons in the most recent meme-based phenomenon to spread through educational institutions.

While some instructors have chosen to patiently overlook the phenomenon, different educators have embraced it. A group of teachers describe how they’re managing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Earlier in September, I had been addressing my secondary school students about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me precisely what it was in relation to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an allusion to an offensive subject, or that they detected a quality in my pronunciation that sounded funny. Somewhat annoyed – but truly interested and mindful that they weren’t hurtful – I persuaded them to elaborate. To be honest, the explanation they provided didn’t provide much difference – I remained with no idea.

What possibly caused it to be especially amusing was the weighing-up gesture I had made while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this often accompanies ““67”: I had intended it to assist in expressing the process of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to kill it off I try to mention it as much as I can. No approach reduces a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an grown-up striving to get involved.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Being aware of it aids so that you can avoid just accidentally making comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is unpreventable, possessing a firm school behaviour policy and standards on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any different disturbance, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Guidelines are important, but if pupils accept what the learning environment is doing, they will remain more focused by the viral phenomena (at least in lesson time).

With 67, I haven’t sacrificed any lesson time, except for an occasional quizzical look and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. When you provide attention to it, it evolves into an inferno. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any other disruption.

Earlier occurred the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a previous period, and certainly there will appear a new phenomenon after this. That’s children’s behavior. During my own childhood, it was imitating Kevin and Perry mimicry (honestly outside the school environment).

Students are spontaneous, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to respond in a manner that guides them in the direction of the direction that will enable them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is graduating with qualifications instead of a disciplinary record a mile long for the employment of random numbers.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners use it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: one says it and the remaining students reply to show they are the same group. It resembles a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an common expression they use. I believe it has any particular meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. No matter what the current trend is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, nevertheless – it’s a warning if they call it out – similar to any different shouting out is. It’s especially difficult in numeracy instruction. But my class at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively adherent to the regulations, although I appreciate that at secondary [school] it may be a distinct scenario.

I’ve been a educator for fifteen years, and such trends last for a few weeks. This phenomenon will die out soon – they always do, notably once their younger siblings begin using it and it’s no longer cool. Then they’ll be focused on the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while instructing in English at a international school. It was primarily young men saying it. I instructed students from twelve to eighteen and it was common within the less experienced learners. I had no idea what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon comparable to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are always shifting. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really occur as often in the classroom. Unlike “six-seven”, ““the skibidi trend” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in lessons, so learners were less equipped to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, trying to understand them and recognize that it’s merely youth culture. In my opinion they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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