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Across the UK, learners have been exclaiming the phrase ““67” during lessons in the newest meme-based craze to sweep across classrooms.

While some educators have decided to calmly disregard the craze, some have incorporated it. A group of instructors explain how they’re managing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Earlier in September, I had been talking to my secondary school tutor group about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. I don’t recall exactly what it was in reference to, but I said words similar to “ … if you’re working to grades six, seven …” and the complete classroom erupted in laughter. It took me entirely unexpectedly.

My initial reaction was that I’d made an allusion to an inappropriate topic, or that they detected an element of my accent that seemed humorous. A bit exasperated – but genuinely curious and aware that they weren’t trying to be malicious – I persuaded them to explain. To be honest, the clarification they offered didn’t provide greater understanding – I continued to have little comprehension.

What might have made it extra funny was the weighing-up movement I had performed during speaking. Subsequently I found out that this frequently goes with ““67”: I had intended it to help convey the action of me speaking my mind.

To eliminate it I aim to bring it up as often as I can. Nothing reduces a craze like this more emphatically than an grown-up trying to join in.

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

Understanding it helps so that you can steer clear of just blundering into statements like “for example, there existed 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. When the number combination is unpreventable, maintaining a firm student discipline system and expectations on pupil behavior is advantageous, as you can deal with it as you would any additional disruption, but I haven’t actually needed to implement that. Policies are one thing, but if learners buy into what the learning environment is doing, they will become more focused by the viral phenomena (particularly in class periods).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t wasted any lesson time, except for an periodic raised eyebrow and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer attention to it, it transforms into a wildfire. I address it in the same way I would treat any other disruption.

There was the nine plus ten equals twenty-one trend a previous period, and certainly there will appear another craze subsequently. This is typical youth activity. Back when I was childhood, it was doing comedy characters impersonations (admittedly out of the learning space).

Young people are spontaneous, and I believe it’s the educator’s responsibility to respond in a approach that guides them back to the course that will get them to their educational goals, which, with luck, is completing their studies with certificates instead of a disciplinary record extensive for the utilization of meaningless numerals.

‘They want to feel a part of a group’

Young learners use it like a bonding chant in the playground: a student calls it and the other children answer to show they are the identical community. It’s similar to a verbal exchange or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they use. I don’t think it has any distinct significance to them; they simply understand it’s a phenomenon to say. Whatever the current trend is, they want to experience belonging to it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, though – it’s a warning if they call it out – just like any other shouting out is. It’s especially tricky in numeracy instruction. But my class at year 5 are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively accepting of the guidelines, although I appreciate that at secondary [school] it may be a different matter.

I have worked as a teacher for 15 years, and such trends continue for three or four weeks. This craze will die out in the near future – they always do, notably once their junior family members start saying it and it stops being fashionable. Then they’ll be focused on the next thing.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I started noticing it in August, while teaching English at a language institute. It was mostly boys saying it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was common with the less experienced learners. I had no idea its significance at the time, but as a young adult and I recognized it was merely a viral phenomenon akin to when I attended classes.

The crazes are constantly changing. ““Toilet meme” was a well-known trend back when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it didn’t particularly exist as much in the classroom. Unlike ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was not inscribed on the board in instruction, so students were less prepared to embrace it.

I simply disregard it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, trying to relate to them and understand that it’s simply contemporary trends. I believe they simply desire to enjoy that sensation of belonging and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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