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Around the UK, learners have been calling out the expression ““67” during lessons in the most recent meme-based craze to sweep across classrooms.

Whereas some instructors have opted to stoically ignore the craze, different educators have incorporated it. A group of teachers share how they’re coping.

‘My initial assumption was that I’d uttered something offensive’

Earlier in September, I had been speaking with my eleventh grade class about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for results six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It surprised me totally off guard.

My first thought was that I had created an hint at an offensive subject, or that they detected an element of my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Somewhat exasperated – but honestly intrigued and aware that they weren’t trying to be mean – I asked them to explain. Frankly speaking, the clarification they provided failed to create significant clarification – I still had minimal understanding.

What possibly caused it to be extra funny was the considering motion I had made while speaking. I later discovered that this frequently goes with ““sixseven”: I had intended it to help convey the action of me speaking my mind.

To kill it off I aim to bring it up as often as I can. No strategy reduces a craze like this more thoroughly than an grown-up trying to get involved.

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

Being aware of it assists so that you can prevent just blundering into comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred jobless individuals in Germany in 1933”. When the numerical sequence is unavoidable, having a firm student discipline system and requirements on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can address it as you would any additional disturbance, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are necessary, but if students buy into what the learning environment is doing, they’ll be more focused by the online trends (particularly in instructional hours).

Concerning sixseven, I haven’t wasted any instructional minutes, other than for an infrequent raised eyebrow and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer focus on it, then it becomes an inferno. I address it in the same way I would treat any other disturbance.

Earlier occurred the nine plus ten equals twenty-one trend a while back, and certainly there will appear another craze following this. That’s children’s behavior. During my own childhood, it was imitating Kevin and Perry mimicry (honestly away from the learning space).

Students are unpredictable, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to respond in a way that redirects them in the direction of the course that will help them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is graduating with qualifications as opposed to a disciplinary record lengthy for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Young learners employ it like a unifying phrase in the schoolyard: one says it and the other children answer to show they are the identical community. It resembles a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an common expression they share. I believe it has any distinct significance to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they seek to be included in it.

It’s banned in my classroom, however – it’s a warning if they call it out – just like any different calling out is. It’s particularly tricky in mathematics classes. But my class at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite adherent to the rules, whereas I understand that at secondary [school] it might be a separate situation.

I’ve been a educator for 15 years, and these phenomena last for a month or so. This phenomenon will die out soon – it invariably occurs, notably once their junior family members begin using it and it stops being cool. Then they’ll be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a international school. It was mainly young men uttering it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent with the less experienced learners. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but as a young adult and I realised it was just a meme akin to when I was a student.

These trends are constantly changing. “Skibidi toilet” was a popular meme back when I was at my educational institute, but it failed to exist as much in the educational setting. Differing from ““sixseven”, ““the skibidi trend” was not inscribed on the chalkboard in lessons, so students were less equipped to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or periodically I will laugh with them if I unintentionally utter it, trying to understand them and recognize that it’s simply youth culture. In my opinion they just want to feel that sense of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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