🔗 Share this article

Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the words “sixseven” during lessons in the most recent internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across schools.

While some instructors have opted to stoically ignore the phenomenon, different educators have incorporated it. A group of teachers describe how they’re managing.

‘My initial assumption was that I’d uttered something offensive’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my year 11 students about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the complete classroom started chuckling. It caught me totally off guard.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an hint at an offensive subject, or that they’d heard a quality in my accent that appeared amusing. Slightly frustrated – but truly interested and aware that they weren’t trying to be mean – I asked them to elaborate. To be honest, the explanation they then gave didn’t make significant clarification – I still had little comprehension.

What possibly made it particularly humorous was the evaluating gesture I had made while speaking. I have since found out that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I meant it to help convey the process of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of eliminate it I try to reference it as much as I can. No strategy deflates a phenomenon like this more thoroughly than an teacher striving to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it assists so that you can avoid just accidentally making remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is inevitable, possessing a strong school behaviour policy and standards on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any other disruption, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Rules are important, but if pupils embrace what the learning environment is practicing, they’ll be better concentrated by the internet crazes (particularly in instructional hours).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, aside from an occasional quizzical look and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide focus on it, it evolves into a blaze. I handle it in the identical manner I would treat any different disruption.

There was the mathematical meme trend a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a new phenomenon following this. This is typical youth activity. When I was childhood, it was performing comedy characters impressions (admittedly outside the learning space).

Students are unpredictable, and I think it’s an adult’s job to react in a way that redirects them in the direction of the direction that will help them toward their academic objectives, which, hopefully, is coming out with certificates as opposed to a disciplinary record lengthy for the employment of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students use it like a connecting expression in the schoolyard: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s like a interactive chant or a football chant – an agreed language they possess. In my view it has any distinct importance to them; they just know it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what 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 shout it out – similar to any other calling out is. It’s especially challenging in numeracy instruction. But my class at fifth grade are pre-teens, so they’re relatively accepting of the rules, while I appreciate that at secondary [school] it might be a separate situation.

I have worked as a educator for a decade and a half, and these phenomena persist for a few weeks. This craze will fade away in the near future – they always do, notably once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it stops being fashionable. Then they’ll be engaged with the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a foreign language school. It was mostly boys repeating it. I taught teenagers and it was widespread with the younger pupils. I had no idea what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme back when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t particularly occur as often in the learning environment. Unlike “six-seven”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the whiteboard in lessons, so pupils were less equipped to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I accidentally say it, attempting to understand them and recognize that it’s merely contemporary trends. I believe they simply desire to experience that feeling of community and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

I have worked in the {job|profession