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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the words ““six-seven” during lessons in the newest viral trend to sweep across educational institutions.

Whereas some teachers have chosen to patiently overlook the craze, others have accepted it. A group of teachers share how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my eleventh grade tutor group about studying for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in reference to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I might have delivered an allusion to an offensive subject, or that they detected an element of my speech pattern that appeared amusing. A bit annoyed – but genuinely curious and aware that they weren’t hurtful – I asked them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the clarification they provided didn’t provide significant clarification – I remained with minimal understanding.

What possibly caused it to be extra funny was the evaluating motion I had made while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this frequently goes with “six-seven”: I had intended it to help convey the process of me speaking my mind.

To kill it off I aim to reference it as often as I can. No approach reduces a craze like this more emphatically than an adult attempting to get involved.

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

Being aware of it helps so that you can avoid just blundering into statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unpreventable, having a strong student discipline system and standards on pupil behavior really helps, as you can deal with it as you would any other interruption, but I rarely been required to take that action. Guidelines are necessary, but if pupils accept what the school is doing, they will become less distracted by the viral phenomena (at least in class periods).

Concerning 67, I haven’t lost any lesson time, other than for an periodic eyebrow raise and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. Should you offer attention 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 phenomenon a few years ago, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze following this. It’s what kids do. Back when I was youth, it was imitating television personalities impressions (honestly outside the classroom).

Young people are unpredictable, and I think it’s an adult’s job to behave 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 academic achievements rather than a behaviour list lengthy for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Students employ it like a unifying phrase in the playground: one says it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the equivalent circle. It resembles a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an agreed language they share. In my view it has any particular meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a thing to say. Whatever the newest phenomenon is, they want to be included in it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, however – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – identical to any other calling out is. It’s especially difficult in numeracy instruction. But my students at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively accepting of the guidelines, while I understand that at high school it might be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a educator for fifteen years, and these crazes continue for a few weeks. This phenomenon will die out soon – it invariably occurs, notably once their younger siblings begin using it and it ceases to be trendy. Then they’ll be on to the next thing.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was mostly boys uttering it. I instructed teenagers and it was prevalent among the less experienced learners. I was unaware its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was just a meme similar to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme back when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly occur as often in the classroom. In contrast to “six-seven”, ““the skibidi trend” was never written on the board in instruction, so learners were less equipped to adopt it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, striving to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. In my opinion they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of community and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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