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Across the UK, students have been calling out the phrase ““67” during lessons in the most recent viral phenomenon to sweep across schools.

Although some educators have decided to stoically ignore the phenomenon, some have incorporated it. Several teachers share how they’re managing.

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

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my secondary school tutor group about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. I can’t remember exactly what it was in connection with, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re targeting grades six, seven …” and the whole class burst out laughing. It took me completely by surprise.

My first thought was that I had created an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected a quality in my speech pattern that appeared amusing. Slightly frustrated – but honestly intrigued and conscious that they had no intention of being hurtful – I got them to explain. Frankly speaking, the explanation they provided didn’t provide greater understanding – I continued to have little comprehension.

What could have made it particularly humorous was the weighing-up gesture I had executed while speaking. I later found out that this frequently goes with ““67”: I had intended it to assist in expressing the process of me speaking my mind.

To end the trend I attempt to mention it as frequently as I can. No strategy diminishes a trend like this more emphatically than an teacher attempting to join in.

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

Understanding it aids so that you can steer clear of just blundering into comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 million unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is inevitable, having a rock-solid classroom conduct rules and expectations on learner demeanor really helps, as you can address it as you would any other disruption, but I haven’t actually had to do that. Rules are important, but if pupils buy into what the school is implementing, they will remain more focused by the viral phenomena (at least in class periods).

With 67, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, except for an infrequent eyebrow raise and stating ““correct, those are digits, good job”. Should you offer attention to it, it transforms into an inferno. I address it in the equivalent fashion I would handle any different disruption.

There was the 9 + 10 = 21 trend a few years ago, and certainly there will appear another craze subsequently. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was youth, it was doing television personalities impressions (admittedly out of the learning space).

Children are unforeseeable, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to react in a approach that redirects them toward the path that will get them where they need to go, which, hopefully, is coming out with certificates instead of a behaviour list lengthy for the use of meaningless numerals.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

The children use it like a bonding chant in the playground: one says it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the identical community. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they use. I believe it has any distinct significance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Regardless of what the latest craze is, they desire to be included in it.

It’s banned in my learning environment, nevertheless – it results in a caution if they shout it out – similar to any other verbal interruption is. It’s especially tricky in numeracy instruction. But my students at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re fairly adherent to the rules, although I understand that at secondary [school] it may be a different matter.

I’ve been a teacher for 15 years, and such trends persist for a few weeks. This craze will die out in the near future – this consistently happens, especially once their junior family members begin using it and it’s no longer cool. Afterward they shall be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while instructing in English at a international school. It was primarily male students saying it. I educated students from twelve to eighteen and it was prevalent among the less experienced learners. I had no idea its significance at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was simply an internet trend comparable to when I was a student.

The crazes are always shifting. ““Skibidi” was a well-known trend during the period when I was at my training school, but it failed to occur as often in the classroom. Differing from ““sixseven”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the chalkboard in lessons, so students were less able to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will chuckle alongside them if I inadvertently mention it, striving to empathise with them and recognize that it is just pop culture. I believe they merely seek to feel that sense of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Playfully shouting it means I rarely hear it now’

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