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Throughout the UK, students have been exclaiming the phrase ““six-seven” during classes in the latest internet-inspired trend to take over classrooms.

Whereas some teachers have chosen to calmly disregard the phenomenon, some have embraced it. Several teachers share how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Earlier in September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade class about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It took 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 seemed humorous. A bit annoyed – but truly interested and aware that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I got them to elaborate. Honestly, the description they provided failed to create significant clarification – I still had little comprehension.

What could have rendered it particularly humorous was the evaluating movement I had executed while speaking. I have since discovered that this often accompanies “six-seven”: My purpose was it to help convey the act of me speaking my mind.

In order to kill it off I try to mention it as often as I can. No strategy diminishes a phenomenon like this more effectively than an grown-up trying to get involved.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Knowing about it assists so that you can prevent just accidentally making statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is unpreventable, possessing a firm classroom conduct rules and requirements on student conduct is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any different disturbance, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Guidelines are important, but if pupils embrace what the learning environment is practicing, they will remain less distracted by the online trends (especially in lesson time).

With 67, I haven’t sacrificed any instructional minutes, other than for an infrequent eyebrow raise and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give attention to it, then it becomes a wildfire. I address it in the same way I would manage any different interruption.

Earlier occurred the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon subsequently. It’s what kids do. During my own childhood, it was performing Kevin and Perry impressions (truthfully out of the school environment).

Students are spontaneous, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a approach that steers them back to the path that will get them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with certificates rather than a disciplinary record a mile long for the employment of random numbers.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children utilize it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s like a call-and-response or a football chant – an common expression they use. I don’t think it has any distinct meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a thing to say. Whatever the current trend is, they want to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, however – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – just like any other calling out is. It’s particularly tricky in maths lessons. But my pupils at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re relatively compliant with the regulations, while I recognize that at secondary [school] it could be a separate situation.

I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and these crazes persist for a few weeks. This craze will diminish soon – they always do, especially once their younger siblings begin using it and it’s no longer fashionable. Subsequently they will be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was mostly male students uttering it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread with the junior students. I had no idea what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was just a meme akin to when I was a student.

These trends are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme back when I was at my training school, but it failed to occur as often in the educational setting. Unlike ““67”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the whiteboard in lessons, so students were less equipped to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to relate to them and appreciate that it is just youth culture. In my opinion they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of belonging and companionship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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