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Around the UK, school pupils have been calling out the expression ““six-seven” during lessons in the most recent meme-based craze to take over schools.

While some educators have decided to calmly disregard the phenomenon, different educators have accepted it. A group of educators describe how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been talking to my year 11 students about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. I can’t remember exactly what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me totally off guard.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an hint at something rude, or that they detected a quality in my accent that seemed humorous. Slightly frustrated – but truly interested and conscious that they weren’t malicious – I got them to explain. To be honest, the description they offered didn’t provide significant clarification – I continued to have no idea.

What possibly made it particularly humorous was the considering movement I had performed during speaking. I later learned that this often accompanies ““67”: I meant it to assist in expressing the act of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of end the trend I try to mention it as much as I can. No approach diminishes a craze like this more effectively than an teacher striving to get involved.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it helps so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is unavoidable, possessing a rock-solid classroom conduct rules and standards on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any different disturbance, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Guidelines are necessary, but if learners accept what the learning environment is doing, they’ll be better concentrated by the internet crazes (especially in instructional hours).

With six-seven, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, other than for an occasional raised eyebrow and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. If you give attention to it, it evolves into an inferno. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would manage any other disruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon subsequently. This is typical youth activity. During my own youth, it was doing Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly outside the school environment).

Children are unpredictable, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a manner that redirects them toward the direction that will enable them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with academic achievements rather than a behaviour list a mile long for the employment of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students employ it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It resembles a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they share. I believe it has any particular meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they seek to be included in it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, however – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – identical to any additional shouting out is. It’s particularly tricky in numeracy instruction. But my class at year 5 are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly adherent to the rules, although I understand that at teen education it may be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a educator for a decade and a half, and these crazes last for a month or so. This trend will fade away shortly – this consistently happens, notably once their junior family members start saying it and it ceases to be fashionable. Afterward they shall be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mainly young men uttering it. I educated teenagers and it was common within the less experienced learners. I had no idea its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was simply an internet trend similar to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a well-known trend at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t particularly appear as frequently in the classroom. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the board in instruction, so pupils were less prepared to embrace it.

I just ignore it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to relate to them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. I think they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of community and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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