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Across the UK, students have been calling out the words ““six-seven” during lessons in the most recent meme-based craze to take over classrooms.

Although some instructors have opted to patiently overlook the phenomenon, others have incorporated it. Several teachers share how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Earlier in September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade students about getting ready 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 working to results six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It surprised me completely by surprise.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an hint at an offensive subject, or that they detected an element of my accent that seemed humorous. Slightly annoyed – but genuinely curious and conscious that they had no intention of being hurtful – I got them to clarify. To be honest, the explanation they offered didn’t provide much difference – I continued to have no idea.

What could have caused it to be particularly humorous was the weighing-up movement I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this frequently goes with ““67”: I had intended it to help convey the act of me thinking aloud.

In order to end the trend I aim to reference it as much as I can. Nothing reduces a trend like this more thoroughly than an teacher trying to participate.

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

Knowing about it assists so that you can avoid just accidentally making statements like “well, there were 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is unavoidable, possessing a rock-solid classroom conduct rules and expectations on learner demeanor really helps, as you can deal with it as you would any different disruption, but I’ve not really had to do that. Guidelines are one thing, but if students buy into what the school is implementing, they’ll be less distracted by the online trends (particularly in lesson time).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, except for an occasional quizzical look and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any other interruption.

There was the mathematical meme trend a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze following this. That’s children’s behavior. When I was childhood, it was doing Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly away from the learning space).

Children are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to react in a manner that guides them in the direction of the course that will help them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is coming out with certificates instead of a conduct report a mile long for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children utilize it like a bonding chant in the playground: a student calls it and the other children answer to show they are the same group. It resembles a call-and-response or a football chant – an common expression they share. I believe it has any particular importance to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Whatever the newest phenomenon is, they desire to feel part of it.

It’s forbidden in my learning environment, however – it results in a caution if they call it out – just like any different verbal interruption is. It’s particularly tricky in mathematics classes. But my students at year 5 are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly compliant with the rules, while I recognize that at teen education it may be a separate situation.

I have worked as a instructor for 15 years, and these crazes persist for a month or so. This trend will fade away soon – they always do, notably once their younger siblings begin using it and it stops being trendy. Then they’ll be focused on the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while instructing in English at a foreign language school. It was mainly male students repeating it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent with the less experienced learners. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was just a meme akin to when I was at school.

These trends are always shifting. ““Skibidi” was a popular meme back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to appear as frequently in the educational setting. Unlike “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was not scribbled on the whiteboard in lessons, so pupils were less prepared to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, striving to understand them and understand that it is just pop culture. I think they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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