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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the words “sixseven” during lessons in the newest meme-based phenomenon to spread through educational institutions.

Although some instructors have opted to stoically ignore the craze, some have embraced it. Several educators describe how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my secondary school class about getting ready for their qualification tests in June. I don’t recall specifically what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My first thought was that I’d made an allusion to something rude, or that they perceived something in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. Somewhat annoyed – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t malicious – I persuaded them to elaborate. Frankly speaking, the explanation they offered failed to create greater understanding – I remained with little comprehension.

What could have made it particularly humorous was the considering motion I had executed while speaking. I have since learned that this often accompanies “six-seven”: I meant it to assist in expressing the action of me speaking my mind.

With the aim of end the trend I try to bring it up as much as I can. Nothing deflates a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an adult trying to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it helps so that you can avoid just blundering into statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 million people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is unpreventable, having a strong student discipline system and expectations on pupil behavior really helps, as you can deal with it as you would any other disturbance, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Guidelines are one thing, but if pupils buy into what the school is practicing, they will remain better concentrated by the viral phenomena (at least in class periods).

With six-seven, I haven’t lost any lesson time, except for an infrequent quizzical look and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. Should you offer focus on it, then it becomes a blaze. I address it in the identical manner I would handle any other disruption.

There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one phenomenon a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge a different trend following this. It’s what kids do. During my own growing up, it was performing comedy characters impressions (admittedly out of the learning space).

Young people are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it falls to the teacher to respond in a approach that guides them back to the direction that will help them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with qualifications rather than a behaviour list extensive for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners use it like a unifying phrase in the playground: one says it and the others respond to show they are the same group. It resembles a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an shared vocabulary they possess. I don’t think it has any particular meaning to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. No matter what the current trend is, they desire to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – identical to any additional calling out is. It’s especially challenging in mathematics classes. But my class at year 5 are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly accepting of the guidelines, although I appreciate that at secondary [school] it might be a different matter.

I have worked as a instructor for a decade and a half, and these phenomena persist for three or four weeks. This phenomenon will diminish soon – it invariably occurs, notably once their younger siblings begin using it and it’s no longer fashionable. Subsequently they will be on to the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was primarily boys repeating it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was prevalent among the less experienced learners. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to exist as much in the learning environment. In contrast to ““sixseven”, ““that particular meme” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in lessons, so pupils were less equipped to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to understand them and understand that it’s merely pop culture. I believe they just want to feel that sense of togetherness and friendship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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