‘Sometimes you’ve got to chuckle’: several UK teachers on handling ‘six-seven’ in the school environment

Throughout the UK, school pupils have been shouting out the words ““67” during classes in the most recent internet-inspired phenomenon to spread through schools.

While some educators have decided to patiently overlook the craze, some have embraced it. A group of teachers explain how they’re dealing.

‘I believed I’d made an inappropriate comment’

During September, I had been addressing my secondary school class about preparing for their secondary school examinations in June. It escapes me specifically what it was in connection with, but I said a phrase resembling “ … if you’re targeting marks six, seven …” and the whole class started chuckling. It surprised me totally off guard.

My initial reaction was that I might have delivered an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they’d heard a quality in my accent that seemed humorous. Slightly frustrated – but honestly intrigued and mindful that they had no intention of being malicious – I persuaded them to explain. Frankly speaking, the clarification they then gave failed to create much difference – I remained with no idea.

What possibly rendered it particularly humorous was the evaluating motion I had made while speaking. I later discovered that this often accompanies ““67”: I meant it to assist in expressing the action of me thinking aloud.

To kill it off I try to reference it as frequently as I can. Nothing deflates a trend like this more effectively than an teacher striving to get involved.

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

Understanding it helps so that you can avoid just blundering into comments like “well, there were 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the numerical sequence is unpreventable, having a strong school behaviour policy and expectations on student conduct is advantageous, as you can address it as you would any other interruption, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Policies are one thing, but if pupils buy into what the learning environment is implementing, they’ll be less distracted by the online trends (particularly in lesson time).

Regarding 67, I haven’t lost any instructional minutes, except for an periodic raised eyebrow and stating “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer oxygen to it, it evolves into a wildfire. I treat it in the equivalent fashion I would treat any different disruption.

There was the mathematical meme trend a previous period, and undoubtedly there will emerge another craze after this. That’s children’s behavior. During my own youth, it was imitating Kevin and Perry impressions (admittedly away from the classroom).

Students are unforeseeable, and I think it’s an adult’s job to react in a way that guides them toward the path that will get them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with academic achievements rather than a conduct report extensive for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Students employ it like a bonding chant in the playground: one says it and the others respond to demonstrate they belong to the same group. It’s similar to a verbal exchange or a sports cheer – an common expression they share. I believe it has any specific significance to them; they just know it’s a phenomenon to say. No matter what the current trend is, they seek to feel part of it.

It’s banned in my teaching space, however – it’s a warning if they shout it out – similar to any different shouting out is. It’s notably challenging in mathematics classes. But my pupils at primary level are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively accepting of the guidelines, whereas I understand that at high school it might be a distinct scenario.

I have worked as a instructor for a decade and a half, and these phenomena continue for a few weeks. This craze will die out in the near future – they always do, particularly once their younger siblings commence repeating it and it stops being trendy. Afterward they shall be focused on the subsequent trend.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was mostly boys repeating it. I instructed students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread among the younger pupils. I had no idea its meaning at the time, but being twenty-four and I realised it was merely a viral phenomenon similar to when I was a student.

These trends are always shifting. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme back when I was at my educational institute, but it failed to occur as often in the educational setting. In contrast to ““67”, ““that particular meme” was not inscribed on the board in lessons, so students were less equipped to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or sometimes I will chuckle alongside them if I accidentally say it, striving to understand them and recognize that it is just pop culture. I think they just want to experience that feeling of belonging and friendship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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