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Around the UK, school pupils have been shouting out the phrase ““67” during lessons in the latest meme-based phenomenon to spread through educational institutions.

Although some educators have opted to calmly disregard the craze, some have accepted it. A group of educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

Back in September, I had been speaking with my year 11 tutor group about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me precisely what it was in connection with, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re aiming for marks six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It caught me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an allusion to an offensive subject, or that they detected an element of my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Slightly exasperated – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t malicious – I got them to elaborate. To be honest, the explanation they then gave didn’t make greater understanding – I still had minimal understanding.

What might have made it particularly humorous was the evaluating movement I had performed during speaking. I later discovered that this typically pairs with “six-seven”: My purpose was it to help convey the act of me thinking aloud.

With the aim of end the trend I aim to bring it up as much as I can. No strategy diminishes a craze like this more emphatically than an grown-up striving to join in.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it assists so that you can avoid just blundering into statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the digit pairing is unpreventable, having a strong student discipline system and expectations on learner demeanor is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any other interruption, but I’ve not really had to do that. Guidelines are necessary, but if learners buy into what the school is implementing, they’ll be better concentrated by the viral phenomena (at least in lesson time).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, except for an occasional eyebrow raise and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. If you give focus on it, it transforms into a wildfire. I treat it in the identical manner I would manage any additional disruption.

Previously existed the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a few years ago, and there will no doubt be a different trend following this. That’s children’s behavior. When I was growing up, it was imitating Kevin and Perry mimicry (truthfully out of the school environment).

Students are unpredictable, and I believe it falls to the teacher to respond in a way that guides them back to the course that will help them toward their academic objectives, which, hopefully, is completing their studies with qualifications as opposed to a behaviour list a mile long for the use of random numbers.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

The children employ it like a unifying phrase in the playground: a pupil shouts it and the others respond to show they are the same group. It’s like a interactive chant or a sports cheer – an agreed language they use. In my view it has any particular significance to them; they merely recognize it’s a thing to say. Whatever the latest craze is, they want to be included in it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, though – it triggers a reminder if they shout it out – just like any other verbal interruption is. It’s particularly tricky in numeracy instruction. But my pupils at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively accepting of the rules, whereas I understand that at high school it might be a distinct scenario.

I have served as a teacher for fifteen years, and these phenomena persist for three or four weeks. This craze will die out in the near future – it invariably occurs, notably once their junior family members commence repeating it and it ceases to be trendy. Subsequently they will be focused on the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was mainly young men uttering it. I instructed teenagers and it was prevalent among the younger pupils. I was unaware what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I recognized it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I was at school.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to appear as frequently in the educational setting. In contrast to “six-seven”, ““the skibidi trend” was not inscribed on the board in class, so students were less able to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or occasionally I will laugh with them if I accidentally say it, trying to relate to them and recognize that it’s simply youth culture. I believe they just want to enjoy that sensation of belonging and companionship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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