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Across the UK, school pupils have been calling out the phrase ““six-seven” during lessons in the latest meme-based craze to sweep across educational institutions.

Whereas some educators have opted to calmly disregard the trend, some have incorporated it. Five educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade tutor group about getting ready for their GCSE exams in June. I can’t remember exactly what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It caught me completely by surprise.

My initial reaction was that I might have delivered an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived a quality in my speech pattern that sounded funny. Slightly frustrated – but genuinely curious and mindful that they weren’t trying to be mean – I got them to clarify. Frankly speaking, the clarification they offered didn’t provide significant clarification – I still had little comprehension.

What possibly caused it to be especially amusing was the weighing-up gesture I had made while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: I meant it to aid in demonstrating the process of me thinking aloud.

In order to end the trend I attempt to mention it as much as I can. No approach reduces a phenomenon like this more effectively than an teacher attempting to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it helps so that you can avoid just blundering into remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the digit pairing is unpreventable, maintaining a firm school behaviour policy and expectations on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any additional disturbance, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Policies are important, but if learners buy into what the educational institution is doing, they will remain less distracted by the online trends (at least in lesson time).

Regarding 67, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, aside from an occasional raised eyebrow and saying ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide focus on it, it evolves into a wildfire. I handle it in the equivalent fashion I would manage any different interruption.

There was the mathematical meme craze a few years ago, and there will no doubt be a new phenomenon after this. It’s what kids do. When I was growing up, it was imitating Kevin and Perry mimicry (honestly outside the school environment).

Young people are spontaneous, and In my opinion it falls to the teacher to behave in a way that guides them toward the path that will enable them where they need to go, which, with luck, is graduating with qualifications as opposed to a behaviour list extensive for the employment of arbitrary digits.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners utilize it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the same group. It resembles a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they use. I don’t think it has any distinct significance to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, however – it’s a warning if they shout it out – just like any additional shouting out is. It’s particularly challenging in numeracy instruction. But my students at year 5 are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively adherent to the regulations, although I appreciate that at teen education it may be a different matter.

I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and these crazes last for three or four weeks. This craze will diminish soon – they always do, notably once their junior family members start saying it and it’s no longer cool. Subsequently they will be on to the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was primarily young men uttering it. I instructed students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread with the less experienced learners. I was unaware its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was at school.

The crazes are constantly changing. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to appear as frequently in the learning environment. Unlike ““67”, ““that particular meme” was not scribbled on the board in class, so learners were less able to adopt it.

I just ignore it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I inadvertently mention it, trying to empathise with them and understand that it’s merely youth culture. I think they just want to experience that feeling of belonging and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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