Teachers are fighting back against the weird "6,7" trend sweeping through schools, as those of us who always claimed to be down with the kids are struggling to keep up.
I'll be honest, I had no idea what the "6,7" craze was when it was first explained to me, and even after doing research, I'm still baffled by it.
But it has become so popular that even the recent South Park episode was centered around it - so what is this trend that teachers are having to fight back against?
What Does "6,7" Actually Mean?
While it may sound like a math problem, “6,7” is anything but.
The phrase comes from the viral song “Doot Doot (6 7)” by rapper Skrilla, in which the numbers "six-seven" are endlessly repeated, per The Athletic.
The term has taken off across TikTok and Instagram, where it’s often paired with videos of teens chanting the phrase, dancing, or using it as an inside joke that leaves adults completely confused.
The term’s meaning varies widely, depending on who you ask.
For some, it’s a way to express indifference or to describe something as "mid" - meaning average or unremarkable.
Boy, I sounded old there.
Others associate it with NBA star LaMelo Ball, who stands at an impressive 6-foot-7, giving the phrase a bit of basketball swagger.
But for many, “6,7” doesn’t mean anything at all. It’s simply a nonsensical expression that can be used in any context, often just to elicit a reaction.
Why Are Teachers So Annoyed?
While students seem to love the phrase, teachers are less enthusiastic.
The phrase has become so disruptive in classrooms that some educators have resorted to banning it entirely.
It is often shouted in the middle of lessons, causing chaos.
As elementary school teacher Kaitlyn Biernacki shared, the term even interrupted a recent math lesson. As she was drawing a bar graph, asking her class how many votes a cheetah got, some students responded by shouting “six” — only for a chorus of “6,7” to erupt, drowning out the lesson.
Biernacki quipped, giving her students a “side-eye” that made it clear: this wasn’t a meme classroom. “Nice try,” she said, but the lesson was going to continue despite the distraction.
Other teachers have shared their own frustrations with the viral trend.
One eighth-grade science teacher, who goes by the handle @mscollaketeaches, posted a meme showing a person looking frustrated, captioned: “Teachers hearing '6’7' for the 100000th time after a long day of overstimulation.” The caption added: “No seriously I’m gonna start kicking people out.”
Teachers Fight Back: Banning or Embracing the Trend
As “six-seven” spreads like wildfire, some teachers are trying to regain control of their classrooms by banning it outright.
One middle school teacher vented on Reddit: “I’m an 8th-grade teacher, and I am so done hearing it that I just banned it from my classroom. You can’t say the two numbers in a row without the class bursting out in a chorus of ‘6-7.’ It was funny at first, but now it’s just old and continually interrupts many class conversations.”
Even Mr. R, a Gen Z PE teacher, admitted to being frustrated with how often the phrase surfaced. He recalled an incident during a warm-up session when the entire class began chanting “6,7” as they counted to ten, much to his dismay.
If, after all this, you still don't understand the trend, then do not worry, because I'm right there with you.