‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: five UK teachers on handling ‘six-seven’ in the educational setting

Throughout the UK, learners have been shouting out the phrase “sixseven” during lessons in the most recent internet-inspired craze to spread through classrooms.

Although some teachers have opted to calmly disregard the trend, different educators have incorporated it. A group of educators describe how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my year 11 tutor group about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in connection with, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It surprised me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I had created an reference to something rude, or that they’d heard an element of my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Somewhat exasperated – but truly interested and conscious that they weren’t trying to be mean – I persuaded them to clarify. Honestly, the description they then gave didn’t make significant clarification – I remained with little comprehension.

What could have rendered it particularly humorous was the considering movement I had performed during speaking. Subsequently I learned that this often accompanies “six-seven”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the action of me speaking my mind.

In order to kill it off I aim to bring it up as often as I can. No approach reduces a trend like this more emphatically than an adult attempting to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Knowing about it assists so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is inevitable, possessing a firm classroom conduct rules and standards on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any additional disruption, but I’ve not really needed to implement that. Guidelines are necessary, but if students accept what the school is practicing, they’ll be less distracted by the viral phenomena (at least in lesson time).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, aside from an infrequent eyebrow raise and commenting ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give attention to it, then it becomes an inferno. I treat it in the same way I would manage any different interruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 craze a few years ago, and there will no doubt be another craze after this. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was childhood, it was performing Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly away from the school environment).

Young people are unpredictable, and I think it’s an adult’s job to react in a way that guides them toward the direction that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with academic achievements as opposed to a conduct report extensive for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

The children utilize it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: a student calls it and the others respond to indicate they’re part of the identical community. It’s like a call-and-response or a football chant – an common expression they share. I don’t think it has any distinct meaning to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they want to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my classroom, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they shout it out – just like any other calling out is. It’s especially challenging in maths lessons. But my students at fifth grade are children aged nine to ten, so they’re fairly adherent to the rules, whereas I appreciate that at high school it may be a different matter.

I have worked as a teacher for a decade and a half, and such trends persist for a few weeks. This phenomenon will die out soon – this consistently happens, notably once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it stops being cool. Subsequently they will be on to the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was primarily male students saying it. I instructed teenagers and it was common within the less experienced learners. I had no idea its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I understood it was just a meme akin to when I attended classes.

These trends are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a familiar phenomenon at the time when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t really occur as often in the learning environment. In contrast to “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the board in class, so pupils were less equipped to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I accidentally say it, attempting to understand them and understand that it’s merely pop culture. I think they merely seek to experience that feeling of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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