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

While some teachers have chosen to calmly disregard the trend, some have incorporated it. A group of educators share how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been addressing my year 11 tutor group about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It took me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I had created an allusion to an offensive subject, or that they’d heard an element of my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Somewhat annoyed – but genuinely curious and mindful that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I persuaded them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the description they then gave didn’t make much difference – I continued to have little comprehension.

What could have made it especially amusing was the considering motion I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I discovered that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to aid in demonstrating the action of me verbalizing thoughts.

With the aim of eliminate it I aim to reference it as often as I can. No strategy deflates a phenomenon like this more effectively than an adult striving to join in.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it aids so that you can prevent just blundering into comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the number combination is unpreventable, possessing a firm classroom conduct rules and standards on learner demeanor really helps, as you can sanction it as you would any other disturbance, but I rarely needed to implement that. Policies are one thing, but if learners embrace what the educational institution is implementing, they will remain less distracted by the viral phenomena (especially in lesson time).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, aside from an infrequent raised eyebrow and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide attention to it, then it becomes an inferno. I address it in the same way I would handle any different disruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a while back, and there will no doubt be another craze after this. It’s what kids do. When I was growing up, it was performing Kevin and Perry impersonations (truthfully out of the school environment).

Young people are spontaneous, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a way that steers them back to the path that will get them where they need to go, which, with luck, is completing their studies with academic achievements rather than a behaviour list extensive for the use of random numbers.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners use it like a bonding chant in the playground: a student calls it and the remaining students reply to indicate they’re part of the same group. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they use. In my view it has any specific meaning to them; they just know it’s a thing to say. Regardless of what the newest phenomenon is, they seek to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my teaching space, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – just like any different calling out is. It’s notably difficult in numeracy instruction. But my pupils at year 5 are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively compliant with the rules, although I recognize that at secondary [school] it might be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a educator for 15 years, and such trends continue for a few weeks. This phenomenon will diminish soon – this consistently happens, particularly once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it’s no longer cool. Subsequently they will be engaged with the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was primarily young men repeating it. I instructed teenagers and it was widespread among the less experienced learners. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I was a student.

These trends are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon back when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really occur as often in the educational setting. In contrast to ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in class, so learners were less prepared to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, striving to empathise with them and understand that it’s simply contemporary trends. I believe they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of belonging and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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