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Throughout the UK, learners have been exclaiming the expression “sixseven” during classes in the latest internet-inspired trend to take over classrooms.

While some instructors have chosen to calmly disregard the craze, others have incorporated it. A group of educators describe how they’re coping.

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

Earlier in September, I had been speaking with my secondary school class about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It caught me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they detected something in my pronunciation that sounded funny. Slightly annoyed – but genuinely curious and mindful that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I got them to clarify. Honestly, the explanation they offered failed to create greater understanding – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What possibly rendered it extra funny was the evaluating movement I had made while speaking. I have since learned that this often accompanies ““67”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the process of me thinking aloud.

To kill it off I try to bring it up as much as I can. No approach deflates a trend like this more thoroughly than an adult attempting to get involved.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it assists so that you can avoid just accidentally making comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unavoidable, maintaining a strong classroom conduct rules and expectations on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any additional interruption, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are important, but if students buy into what the school is implementing, they will remain less distracted by the internet crazes (at least in class periods).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, aside from an periodic raised eyebrow and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. If you give oxygen to it, it evolves into a wildfire. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any additional interruption.

Earlier occurred the mathematical meme phenomenon a previous period, and there will no doubt be a different trend subsequently. This is typical youth activity. During my own youth, it was imitating Kevin and Perry impersonations (truthfully outside the classroom).

Children are unpredictable, and I think it’s an adult’s job to react in a manner that guides them back to the path that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, with luck, is completing their studies with academic achievements as opposed to a conduct report lengthy for the employment of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students use it like a unifying phrase in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they possess. I believe it has any distinct importance to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they seek to be included in it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, though – it results in a caution if they shout it out – similar to any different verbal interruption is. It’s especially difficult in maths lessons. But my pupils at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively compliant with the guidelines, whereas I recognize that at high school it might be a different matter.

I have served as a educator for a decade and a half, and such trends continue for a month or so. This craze will fade away shortly – it invariably occurs, particularly once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it stops being trendy. Afterward they shall be focused on the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a international school. It was primarily young men uttering it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent within the junior students. I was unaware its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was just a meme similar to when I was at school.

These trends are always shifting. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme at the time when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the educational setting. Differing from “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the whiteboard in class, so learners were less equipped to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, trying to understand them and appreciate that it’s merely contemporary trends. I believe they simply desire to experience that feeling of community and friendship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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