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Around the UK, school pupils have been exclaiming the phrase ““67” during lessons in the most recent meme-based phenomenon to spread through schools.

Although some educators have chosen to calmly disregard the trend, some have embraced it. Several teachers explain how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been addressing my year 11 students 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 grades six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It surprised me completely by surprise.

My immediate assumption was that I had created an reference to an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard something in my pronunciation that sounded funny. Slightly frustrated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they weren’t trying to be hurtful – I persuaded them to explain. Frankly speaking, the description they then gave didn’t provide greater understanding – I still had minimal understanding.

What possibly made it especially amusing was the evaluating gesture I had made while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this typically pairs with ““67”: My purpose was it to assist in expressing the act of me thinking aloud.

In order to eliminate it I attempt to mention it as frequently as I can. Nothing deflates a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an adult striving to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Knowing about it helps so that you can avoid just accidentally making remarks like “well, there were 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. If the digit pairing is unavoidable, possessing a strong classroom conduct rules and standards on pupil behavior really helps, as you can deal with it as you would any additional disturbance, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are important, but if learners buy into what the learning environment is practicing, they will remain better concentrated by the online trends (at least in lesson time).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any instructional minutes, other than for an occasional eyebrow raise and saying “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer focus on it, then it becomes a wildfire. I treat it in the identical manner I would treat any other interruption.

Earlier occurred the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a different trend after this. It’s what kids do. When I was youth, it was doing Kevin and Perry impressions (admittedly outside the school environment).

Young people are unforeseeable, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a way that steers them back to the path that will get them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is coming out with certificates as opposed to a disciplinary record lengthy for the employment of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners utilize it like a connecting expression in the playground: a student calls it and the other children answer to show they are the equivalent circle. It’s like a call-and-response or a sports cheer – an common expression they possess. I don’t think it has any specific significance to them; they merely recognize it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they want to be included in it.

It’s forbidden in my teaching space, however – it results in a caution if they call it out – identical to any different verbal interruption is. It’s especially difficult in mathematics classes. But my students at fifth grade are pre-teens, so they’re fairly adherent to the guidelines, whereas I understand that at teen education it could be a different matter.

I’ve been a teacher for 15 years, and such trends continue for three or four weeks. This craze will fade away shortly – this consistently happens, notably once their junior family members begin using it and it’s no longer cool. Subsequently they will be focused on the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I started noticing it in August, while educating in English language at a international school. It was mostly boys saying it. I instructed ages 12 to 18 and it was common among the younger pupils. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I understood it was simply an internet trend akin to when I was a student.

These trends are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a well-known trend during the period when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t really exist as much in the classroom. In contrast to “six-seven”, “skibidi toilet” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in class, so pupils were less prepared to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will laugh with them if I inadvertently mention it, trying to understand them and recognize that it’s simply contemporary trends. I believe they merely seek to feel that sense of belonging and companionship.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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