🔗 Share this article

Throughout the UK, learners have been calling out the expression ““six-seven” during classes in the latest meme-based trend to take over classrooms.

Although some educators have chosen to stoically ignore the phenomenon, others have embraced it. Five educators describe how they’re managing.

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

During September, I had been addressing my year 11 students about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting results six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I had created an hint at something rude, or that they’d heard a quality in my pronunciation that appeared amusing. Slightly exasperated – but genuinely curious and mindful that they had no intention of being hurtful – I got them to elaborate. To be honest, the clarification they offered failed to create significant clarification – I continued to have no idea.

What could have caused it to be especially amusing was the weighing-up gesture I had executed while speaking. I later learned that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: I meant it to help convey the process of me verbalizing thoughts.

With the aim of eliminate it I try to mention it as frequently as I can. No approach deflates a craze like this more thoroughly than an adult attempting to participate.

‘If you give oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno’

Being aware of it assists so that you can avoid just accidentally making comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is unavoidable, having a rock-solid classroom conduct rules and standards on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any additional disruption, but I rarely been required to take that action. Policies are important, but if pupils accept what the educational institution is doing, they will remain less distracted by the online trends (particularly in lesson time).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t wasted any teaching periods, aside from an occasional raised eyebrow and stating ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide attention to it, it transforms into a wildfire. I treat it in the same way I would treat any other disturbance.

There was the mathematical meme craze a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze subsequently. It’s what kids do. Back when I was childhood, it was imitating television personalities mimicry (admittedly away from the classroom).

Young people are spontaneous, and I believe it falls to the teacher to react in a manner that steers them back to the direction that will get them where they need to go, which, with luck, is completing their studies with academic achievements instead of a behaviour list a mile long for the employment of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children use it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the identical community. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a football chant – an agreed language they possess. In my view it has any distinct importance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they seek to be included in it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, though – it’s a warning if they exclaim it – just like any other shouting out is. It’s particularly challenging in maths lessons. But my class at fifth grade are pre-teens, so they’re fairly compliant with the guidelines, although I appreciate that at secondary [school] it could be a different matter.

I have worked as a educator for fifteen years, and such trends persist for three or four weeks. This trend will fade away shortly – it invariably occurs, particularly once their younger siblings begin using it and it stops being fashionable. Subsequently they will be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘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 repeating it. I taught teenagers and it was widespread with the junior students. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was just a meme similar to when I was at school.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t particularly occur as often in the classroom. In contrast to “six-seven”, ““that particular meme” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in class, so students were less prepared to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, trying to empathise with them and recognize that it’s simply pop culture. I think they merely seek to enjoy that sensation of togetherness and companionship.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

I have performed the {job|profession