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Throughout the UK, students have been exclaiming the phrase ““67” during classes in the latest viral craze to spread through educational institutions.

Whereas some educators have decided to calmly disregard the craze, some have incorporated it. A group of educators share how they’re coping.

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

During September, I had been addressing my secondary school students about studying for their qualification tests in June. I can’t remember exactly what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … if you’re aiming for results six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It surprised me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I might have delivered an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived a quality in my speech pattern that seemed humorous. Slightly annoyed – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they weren’t hurtful – I got them to clarify. To be honest, the explanation they offered didn’t make much difference – I remained with no idea.

What possibly rendered it particularly humorous was the weighing-up gesture I had executed while speaking. I later learned that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: I meant it to assist in expressing the process of me thinking aloud.

To end the trend I aim to reference it as often as I can. Nothing reduces a trend like this more effectively than an teacher trying to participate.

‘Feeding the trend creates a blaze’

Knowing about it assists so that you can avoid just accidentally making statements like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the digit pairing is inevitable, possessing a rock-solid classroom conduct rules and expectations on student conduct proves beneficial, as you can sanction it as you would any other disruption, but I rarely been required to take that action. Guidelines are important, but if learners embrace what the school is practicing, they’ll be better concentrated by the viral phenomena (particularly in class periods).

With sixseven, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, except for an occasional quizzical look and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. If you give focus on it, it evolves into a blaze. I address it in the same way I would handle any other disruption.

Previously existed the nine plus ten equals twenty-one trend a previous period, and certainly there will appear a different trend following this. It’s what kids do. When I was youth, it was imitating Kevin and Perry impersonations (truthfully outside the school environment).

Children are unpredictable, and I believe it’s an adult’s job to react in a manner that redirects them in the direction of the path that will get them toward their academic objectives, which, hopefully, is coming out with qualifications instead of a disciplinary record extensive for the employment of meaningless numerals.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners utilize it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: a student calls it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the same group. It resembles a interactive chant or a stadium slogan – an agreed language they use. I don’t think it has any specific importance to them; they simply understand it’s a thing to say. No matter what the newest phenomenon is, they want to be included in it.

It’s banned in my classroom, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they exclaim it – identical to any different verbal interruption is. It’s especially challenging in mathematics classes. But my pupils at primary level are pre-teens, so they’re quite adherent to the rules, while I appreciate that at teen education it may be a different matter.

I have worked as a educator for a decade and a half, and these phenomena persist for a few weeks. This phenomenon will diminish soon – it invariably occurs, particularly once their little brothers and sisters commence repeating it and it ceases to be cool. Subsequently they will be focused on the next thing.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a foreign language school. It was mainly male students repeating it. I educated teenagers and it was prevalent within the younger pupils. I was unaware its meaning at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was merely a viral phenomenon comparable to when I attended classes.

Such phenomena are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a well-known trend back when I was at my training school, but it didn’t really appear as frequently in the classroom. In contrast to “six-seven”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the whiteboard in lessons, so pupils were less equipped to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I accidentally say it, trying to empathise with them and recognize that it is just youth culture. I think they just want to enjoy that sensation of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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