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Throughout the UK, learners have been exclaiming the phrase “sixseven” during instruction in the most recent viral trend to spread through educational institutions.

While some instructors have chosen to patiently overlook the phenomenon, some have accepted it. A group of educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been talking to my year 11 class about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It surprised me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I’d made an reference to an offensive subject, or that they’d heard a quality in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Somewhat exasperated – but truly interested and conscious that they had no intention of being hurtful – I got them to explain. Frankly speaking, the description they offered didn’t make greater understanding – I continued to have little comprehension.

What might have rendered it particularly humorous was the considering motion I had performed during speaking. I later found out that this frequently goes with ““67”: I meant it to help convey the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

With the aim of kill it off I try to reference it as much as I can. No approach diminishes a trend like this more thoroughly than an adult attempting to join in.

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

Being aware of it helps so that you can prevent just accidentally making remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is unavoidable, maintaining a firm classroom conduct rules and expectations on pupil behavior really helps, as you can sanction it as you would any other disturbance, but I rarely had to do that. Rules are one thing, but if students buy into what the school is implementing, they will become better concentrated by the viral phenomena (especially in instructional hours).

Regarding 67, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, other than for an infrequent quizzical look and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer attention to it, it transforms into a wildfire. I address it in the same way I would handle any other disruption.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon after this. That’s children’s behavior. When I was youth, it was imitating television personalities impressions (admittedly out of the learning space).

Young people are unpredictable, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a way that redirects them toward the path that will get them to their educational goals, which, hopefully, is coming out with academic achievements rather than a conduct report lengthy for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children utilize it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the remaining students reply to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It’s like a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an common expression they share. In my view it has any specific meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a trend to say. Regardless of what the current trend is, they want to be included in it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, though – it’s a warning if they shout it out – identical to any different shouting out is. It’s especially tricky in maths lessons. But my pupils at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re fairly compliant with the guidelines, although I appreciate that at secondary [school] it may be a separate situation.

I have worked as a educator for a decade and a half, and these crazes persist for three or four weeks. This phenomenon will diminish in the near future – it invariably occurs, notably once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it stops being fashionable. Then they’ll be engaged with the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while instructing in English at a language institute. It was mainly male students uttering it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was common with the younger pupils. I had no idea what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I was at school.

The crazes are constantly changing. ““Skibidi” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to exist as much in the classroom. Unlike ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the board in class, so students were less equipped to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I accidentally say it, striving to understand them and appreciate that it’s merely youth culture. In my opinion they just want to experience that feeling of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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