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Throughout the UK, students have been calling out the phrase ““67” during lessons in the latest viral trend to spread through classrooms.

Although some educators have decided to patiently overlook the phenomenon, some have accepted it. Five educators describe how they’re coping.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

During September, I had been talking to my secondary school tutor group about studying for their secondary school examinations in June. I can’t remember exactly what it was in connection with, but I said something like “ … 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 might have delivered an hint at something rude, or that they perceived a quality in my accent that appeared amusing. Slightly frustrated – but truly interested and mindful that they weren’t mean – I got them to explain. To be honest, the explanation they then gave didn’t make greater understanding – I continued to have no idea.

What might have rendered it particularly humorous was the considering movement I had executed while speaking. I have since discovered that this typically pairs with ““67”: My purpose was it to aid in demonstrating the action of me speaking my mind.

To kill it off I attempt to reference it as much as I can. Nothing reduces a phenomenon like this more emphatically than an grown-up trying to join in.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Being aware of it assists so that you can avoid just unintentionally stating comments like “indeed, there were 6, 7 hundred unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. In cases where the digit pairing is unpreventable, maintaining a firm student discipline system and expectations on pupil behavior proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any different disruption, but I haven’t actually been required to take that action. Guidelines are one thing, but if students accept what the educational institution is doing, they will remain less distracted by the viral phenomena (at least in lesson time).

Regarding sixseven, I haven’t lost any lesson time, other than for an periodic raised eyebrow and commenting “yes, that’s a number, well done”. Should you offer focus on it, it transforms into an inferno. I address it in the identical manner I would treat any other disruption.

Earlier occurred the 9 + 10 = 21 phenomenon a while back, and certainly there will appear another craze subsequently. This is typical youth activity. During my own growing up, it was doing Kevin and Perry mimicry (admittedly out of the classroom).

Children are spontaneous, and In my opinion it’s an adult’s job to respond in a manner that redirects them toward the course that will get them to their educational goals, which, fingers crossed, is coming out with certificates instead of a conduct report lengthy for the utilization of arbitrary digits.

‘Children seek inclusion in social circles’

Students use it like a connecting expression in the recreation area: one says it and the other children answer to show they are the equivalent circle. It’s similar to a call-and-response or a stadium slogan – an shared vocabulary they share. In my view it has any specific significance to them; they just know it’s a trend to say. Whatever the current trend is, they want to experience belonging to it.

It’s forbidden in my classroom, though – it triggers a reminder if they call it out – similar to any additional verbal interruption is. It’s particularly challenging in maths lessons. But my class at fifth grade are children aged nine to ten, so they’re relatively accepting of the rules, while I appreciate that at secondary [school] it may be a separate situation.

I’ve been a educator for a decade and a half, and these phenomena last for a few weeks. This craze will die out soon – this consistently happens, especially once their little brothers and sisters start saying it and it stops being trendy. Subsequently they will be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘Sometimes joining the laughter is necessary’

I began observing it in August, while teaching English at a foreign language school. It was primarily boys repeating it. I taught ages 12 to 18 and it was widespread within the younger pupils. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but I’m 24 years old and I realised it was just a meme akin to when I was a student.

Such phenomena are continuously evolving. “Skibidi toilet” was a familiar phenomenon during the period when I was at my teacher preparation program, but it failed to occur as often in the learning environment. Differing from ““67”, ““that particular meme” was never written on the whiteboard in class, so pupils were less able to embrace it.

I typically overlook it, or occasionally I will smile with the students if I accidentally say it, trying to empathise with them and appreciate that it’s merely contemporary trends. In my opinion they just want to feel that sense of community and companionship.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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