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Across the UK, students have been calling out the phrase “sixseven” during classes in the latest internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across schools.

Whereas some teachers have opted to calmly disregard the trend, others have embraced it. Several teachers explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been talking to my year 11 tutor group about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for results six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I had created an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard a quality in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. Somewhat exasperated – but genuinely curious and aware that they weren’t trying to be mean – I asked them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the clarification they offered failed to create much difference – I remained with little comprehension.

What could have made it extra funny was the considering motion I had made while speaking. Subsequently I learned that this frequently goes with ““67”: I had intended it to help convey the act of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of kill it off I attempt to bring it up as often as I can. Nothing deflates a trend like this more thoroughly than an grown-up striving to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Understanding it aids so that you can steer clear of just unintentionally stating statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is unpreventable, possessing a rock-solid classroom conduct rules and requirements on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can address it as you would any other interruption, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are necessary, but if learners embrace what the school is implementing, they will become better concentrated by the internet crazes (at least in lesson time).

With six-seven, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, aside from an occasional raised eyebrow and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give focus on it, it evolves into a wildfire. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any different interruption.

Previously existed the nine plus ten equals twenty-one trend a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a different trend following this. It’s what kids do. During my own growing up, it was doing television personalities impressions (honestly outside the classroom).

Children are unpredictable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to behave in a manner that steers them toward the path that will get them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with academic achievements rather than a conduct report a mile long for the utilization of random numbers.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

The children use it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: one says it and the remaining students reply to show they are the same group. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they use. I believe it has any specific importance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. No matter what the current trend is, they seek to be included in it.

It’s banned in my learning environment, however – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – just like any different calling out is. It’s especially difficult in mathematics classes. But my class at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re relatively adherent to the guidelines, although I appreciate that at high school it may be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a instructor for a decade and a half, and such trends last for a few weeks. This trend will die out in the near future – this consistently happens, notably once their little brothers and sisters begin using it and it’s no longer cool. Then they’ll be on to the subsequent trend.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I began observing it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mostly male students saying it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was prevalent with the junior students. I didn’t understand its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I attended classes.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really exist as much in the learning environment. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not scribbled on the board in class, so pupils were less able to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to understand them and recognize that it’s simply pop culture. I believe they just want to feel that sense of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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