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Throughout the UK, school pupils have been calling out the words ““67” during classes in the latest internet-inspired trend to sweep across classrooms.

Whereas some instructors have decided to calmly disregard the phenomenon, different educators have embraced it. Five educators describe how they’re managing.

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

Back in September, I had been addressing my year 11 tutor group about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me exactly what it was in relation to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re aiming for grades six, seven …” and the entire group erupted in laughter. It surprised me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I had created an reference to something rude, or that they’d heard an element of my accent that appeared amusing. Somewhat exasperated – but genuinely curious and mindful that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I persuaded them to explain. Honestly, the description they then gave didn’t make greater understanding – I remained with minimal understanding.

What possibly made it especially amusing was the considering movement I had performed during speaking. I have since discovered that this often accompanies ““sixseven”: I meant it to help convey the act of me verbalizing thoughts.

To eliminate it I attempt to reference it as frequently as I can. No strategy diminishes a phenomenon like this more effectively than an adult attempting to get involved.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it helps so that you can prevent just accidentally making comments like “well, there were 6, 7 hundred people without work in Germany in 1933”. When the digit pairing is unpreventable, having a strong school behaviour policy and requirements on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any different interruption, but I rarely had to do that. Guidelines are necessary, but if learners embrace what the educational institution is implementing, they’ll be more focused by the internet crazes (at least in instructional hours).

Concerning six-seven, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, aside from an infrequent raised eyebrow and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. When you provide oxygen to it, then it becomes an inferno. I address it in the same way I would manage any other disturbance.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a while back, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze subsequently. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was youth, it was performing television personalities impersonations (admittedly outside the learning space).

Young people are unpredictable, and I think it’s the educator’s responsibility to react in a manner that steers them back to the path that will enable them toward their academic objectives, which, with luck, is graduating with qualifications rather than a behaviour list extensive for the employment of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Young learners utilize it like a bonding chant in the recreation area: a pupil shouts it and the other children answer to show they are the equivalent circle. It’s similar to a interactive chant or a football chant – an shared vocabulary they use. I don’t think it has any specific importance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the latest craze is, they seek to experience belonging to it.

It’s banned in my classroom, though – it triggers a reminder if they exclaim it – similar to any different calling out is. It’s especially tricky in numeracy instruction. But my students at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re quite adherent to the regulations, whereas I understand that at teen education it might be a different matter.

I have worked as a educator for fifteen years, and these crazes last for a few weeks. This trend will fade away soon – they always do, especially once their little brothers and sisters begin using it and it stops being trendy. Subsequently they will be engaged with the next thing.

‘Occasionally sharing the humor is essential’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mainly boys repeating it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was prevalent among the junior students. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon comparable to when I attended classes.

The crazes are constantly changing. ““Skibidi” was a well-known trend at the time when I was at my training school, but it didn’t particularly appear as frequently in the educational setting. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the chalkboard in instruction, so pupils were less prepared to pick up on it.

I typically overlook it, or periodically I will chuckle alongside them if I unintentionally utter it, striving to understand them and understand that it’s simply pop culture. I believe they merely seek to feel that sense of togetherness and camaraderie.

‘Lighthearted usage has diminished its occurrence’

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