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Around the UK, students have been shouting out the expression ““67” during lessons in the latest viral trend to spread through classrooms.

Whereas some educators have decided to patiently overlook the trend, others have accepted it. Five teachers describe how they’re coping.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been talking to my secondary school tutor group about getting ready for their secondary school examinations in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the whole class erupted in laughter. It surprised me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I might have delivered an hint at something rude, or that they detected something in my accent that sounded funny. A bit annoyed – but truly interested and mindful that they had no intention of being hurtful – I got them to elaborate. To be honest, the explanation they provided didn’t make significant clarification – I continued to have little comprehension.

What possibly made it particularly humorous was the considering movement I had made while speaking. Subsequently I found out that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: I meant it to assist in expressing the process of me verbalizing thoughts.

To kill it off I attempt to mention it as often as I can. No strategy reduces a trend like this more effectively than an adult trying to participate.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it aids so that you can prevent just unintentionally stating comments like “well, there were 6, 7 million jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the numerical sequence is inevitable, possessing a firm school behaviour policy and requirements on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can address it as you would any other disturbance, but I rarely needed to implement that. Guidelines are important, but if pupils accept what the school is doing, they’ll be less distracted by the viral phenomena (at least in class periods).

Regarding six-seven, I haven’t lost any teaching periods, except for an periodic raised eyebrow and commenting ““indeed, those are numerals, excellent”. When you provide oxygen to it, it transforms into a wildfire. I handle it in the same way I would handle any different disturbance.

There was the mathematical meme trend a few years ago, and certainly there will appear a different trend subsequently. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was childhood, it was imitating comedy characters mimicry (admittedly away from the classroom).

Young people are spontaneous, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to react in a way that steers them back to the direction that will help them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is graduating with certificates rather than a behaviour list lengthy for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners employ it like a unifying phrase in the recreation area: one says it and the remaining students reply to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It’s like a interactive chant or a football chant – an agreed language they possess. I believe it has any distinct importance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. No matter what the current trend is, they want to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my teaching space, nevertheless – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – just like any additional shouting out is. It’s notably challenging in maths lessons. But my class at year 5 are pre-teens, so they’re fairly adherent to the rules, whereas I understand that at teen education it may be a distinct scenario.

I have served as a instructor for fifteen years, and these phenomena persist for a month or so. This trend will diminish in the near future – it invariably occurs, notably once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it’s no longer fashionable. Subsequently they will be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mainly young men repeating it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread with the junior students. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was just a meme similar to when I attended classes.

The crazes are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my training school, but it failed to occur as often in the educational setting. Unlike ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the board in lessons, so learners were less prepared to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or periodically I will smile with the students if I inadvertently mention it, attempting to relate to them and recognize that it’s simply youth culture. In my opinion they merely seek to feel that sense of belonging and companionship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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