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Around the UK, learners have been shouting out the phrase ““six-seven” during classes in the latest internet-inspired phenomenon to spread through schools.

Whereas some teachers have decided to patiently overlook the craze, others have accepted it. Five instructors describe how they’re dealing.

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

Back in September, I had been talking to my year 11 tutor group about preparing for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It took me completely by surprise.

My initial reaction was that I had created an allusion to something rude, or that they detected an element of my accent that appeared amusing. Slightly annoyed – but truly interested and aware that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I persuaded them to explain. Honestly, the description they offered didn’t provide greater understanding – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What possibly caused it to be especially amusing was the weighing-up gesture I had performed during speaking. I have since found out that this typically pairs with ““sixseven”: I meant it to help convey the action of me thinking aloud.

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

‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’

Knowing about it aids so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating statements like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the digit pairing is unpreventable, maintaining a firm student discipline system and requirements on student conduct is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any additional interruption, but I’ve not really had to do that. Policies are one thing, but if learners embrace what the school is doing, they’ll be less distracted by the online trends (at least in class periods).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, aside from an occasional raised eyebrow and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide oxygen to it, it evolves into a wildfire. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any different disturbance.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a few years ago, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon after this. That’s children’s behavior. Back when I was growing up, it was imitating comedy characters impressions (truthfully away from the classroom).

Children are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to behave in a approach that steers them in the direction of the path that will enable them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is graduating with academic achievements rather than a behaviour list extensive for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Students utilize it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: a student calls it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the same group. It resembles a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an agreed language they share. In my view it has any distinct meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. Whatever the current trend is, they want to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, though – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – identical to any additional calling out is. It’s notably difficult in mathematics classes. But my pupils at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly adherent to the guidelines, while I understand that at secondary [school] it might be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a educator for fifteen years, and such trends continue for three or four weeks. This trend will diminish soon – this consistently happens, particularly once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be fashionable. Subsequently they will be focused on the following phenomenon.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mostly male students saying it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was prevalent among the junior students. I had no idea what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was just a meme akin to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a well-known trend back when I was at my training school, but it failed to appear as frequently in the learning environment. Differing from “six-seven”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the board in instruction, so learners were less equipped to embrace it.

I just ignore it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I accidentally say it, trying to relate to them and appreciate that it’s merely youth culture. I believe they merely seek to feel that sense of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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