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Across the UK, students have been exclaiming the expression ““67” during lessons in the latest internet-inspired phenomenon to sweep across educational institutions.

Although some instructors have chosen to calmly disregard the phenomenon, others have accepted it. Five educators explain how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been addressing my eleventh grade class about studying for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall precisely what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for results six, seven …” and the entire group started chuckling. It caught me totally off guard.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an reference to an offensive subject, or that they perceived something in my speech pattern that sounded funny. Slightly frustrated – but genuinely curious and conscious that they weren’t mean – I got them to clarify. Honestly, the clarification they offered failed to create greater understanding – I still had no idea.

What possibly rendered it especially amusing was the weighing-up gesture I had executed while speaking. Subsequently I discovered that this typically pairs with ““67”: I meant it to assist in expressing the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to end the trend I try to bring it up as frequently as I can. No approach diminishes a craze like this more thoroughly than an grown-up trying to participate.

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

Being aware of it assists so that you can prevent just accidentally making comments like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand people without work in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the digit pairing is unpreventable, possessing a strong student discipline system and expectations on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can sanction it as you would any additional disturbance, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Policies are important, but if students buy into what the educational institution is implementing, they will remain better concentrated by the viral phenomena (particularly in lesson time).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t sacrificed any teaching periods, other than for an infrequent eyebrow raise and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide oxygen to it, it evolves into a blaze. I handle it in the identical manner I would manage any different disturbance.

There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one craze a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge a new phenomenon after this. That’s children’s behavior. During my own childhood, it was doing comedy characters mimicry (admittedly away from the learning space).

Children are unforeseeable, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to behave in a way that redirects them in the direction of the course that will help them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is coming out with academic achievements as opposed to a disciplinary record extensive for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students use it like a bonding chant in the playground: a student calls it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the equivalent circle. It resembles a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they possess. In my view it has any distinct meaning to them; they merely recognize it’s a thing to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they want 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 notably tricky in numeracy instruction. But my pupils at fifth grade are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite adherent to the rules, while I appreciate that at high school it might be a distinct scenario.

I have served as a educator for a decade and a half, and these phenomena continue for three or four weeks. This phenomenon will fade away soon – it invariably occurs, especially once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it ceases to be fashionable. Afterward they shall be focused on the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was mainly young men repeating it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was common among the younger pupils. I had no idea its significance at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was simply an internet trend similar to when I was a student.

The crazes are constantly changing. ““Skibidi” was a well-known trend at the time when I was at my educational institute, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the learning environment. Unlike “six-seven”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the chalkboard in class, so learners were less prepared to adopt it.

I simply disregard it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, trying to empathise with them and understand that it’s merely contemporary trends. I think they just want to experience that feeling of community and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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