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Around the UK, students have been calling out the words ““six-seven” during instruction in the latest meme-based craze to sweep across educational institutions.

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

‘My initial assumption was that I’d uttered something offensive’

Earlier in September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade class about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me precisely what it was in relation to, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me completely by surprise.

My initial reaction was that I had created an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected an element of my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Somewhat exasperated – but truly interested and aware that they weren’t malicious – I got them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the description they provided didn’t make significant clarification – I continued to have minimal understanding.

What could have made it extra funny was the evaluating gesture I had executed while speaking. I later learned that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to eliminate it I try to reference it as much as I can. Nothing reduces a trend like this more effectively than an teacher trying to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it helps so that you can avoid just blundering into remarks like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is unavoidable, possessing a rock-solid school behaviour policy and expectations on pupil behavior really helps, as you can sanction it as you would any other disruption, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are one thing, but if students buy into what the learning environment is doing, they will remain better concentrated by the online trends (at least in class periods).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t lost any lesson time, except for an infrequent quizzical look and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer oxygen to it, it evolves into a wildfire. I address it in the same way I would manage any other disturbance.

Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon following this. It’s what kids do. During my own childhood, it was imitating comedy characters impressions (honestly outside the learning space).

Students are unpredictable, and I think it’s an adult’s job to react in a manner that redirects them back to the course that will enable them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is graduating with certificates instead of a disciplinary record lengthy for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘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 identical community. It’s like a verbal exchange or a football chant – an shared vocabulary they use. In my view it has any specific importance to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they desire to feel part of it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they call it out – similar to any additional shouting out is. It’s particularly difficult in maths lessons. But my pupils at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re quite accepting of the rules, while I appreciate that at high school it could be a different matter.

I have worked as a instructor for 15 years, and these crazes last for a month or so. This trend will diminish shortly – this consistently happens, notably once their younger siblings begin using it and it stops being trendy. Subsequently they will be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a foreign language school. It was primarily male students saying it. I educated teenagers and it was common among the junior students. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was simply an internet trend similar to when I was at school.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme back when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly exist as much in the classroom. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not scribbled on the board in instruction, so pupils were less prepared to pick up on it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I accidentally say it, trying to understand them and appreciate that it is just pop culture. I believe they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of community and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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