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

While some teachers have opted to patiently overlook the trend, others have incorporated it. Several teachers describe how they’re dealing.

‘I thought I had said something rude’

Back in September, I had been talking to my year 11 students about preparing for their GCSE exams in June. It escapes me precisely what it was in relation to, but I said something like “ … if you’re working to results six, seven …” and the complete classroom burst out laughing. It surprised me totally off guard.

My immediate assumption was that I’d made an hint at an inappropriate topic, or that they perceived an element of my speech pattern that sounded funny. A bit annoyed – but genuinely curious and aware that they weren’t malicious – I persuaded them to explain. To be honest, the clarification they provided failed to create greater understanding – I remained with no idea.

What might have made it especially amusing was the weighing-up movement I had made while speaking. I have since learned that this typically pairs with ““67”: I meant it to help convey the action of me verbalizing thoughts.

In order to kill it off I aim to reference it as often as I can. No approach deflates a craze like this more emphatically than an adult attempting to join in.

‘Providing attention fuels the fire’

Understanding it helps so that you can avoid just unintentionally stating remarks like “for example, there existed 6, 7 thousand unemployed people in Germany in 1933”. If the number combination is inevitable, maintaining a firm classroom conduct rules and expectations on learner demeanor proves beneficial, as you can deal with it as you would any different interruption, but I rarely had to do that. Policies are necessary, but if learners accept what the school is practicing, they will become less distracted by the internet crazes (especially in class periods).

With six-seven, I haven’t wasted any teaching periods, aside from an occasional quizzical look and saying ““correct, those are digits, good job”. If you give attention to it, then it becomes a blaze. I treat it in the identical manner I would manage any additional disruption.

Earlier occurred the mathematical meme trend a few years ago, and there will no doubt be another craze after this. It’s what kids do. When I was youth, it was imitating Kevin and Perry mimicry (honestly away from the learning space).

Children are unpredictable, and I think it falls to the teacher to respond in a way that guides them toward the path that will enable them where they need to go, which, fingers crossed, is completing their studies with academic achievements instead of a disciplinary record extensive for the use of arbitrary digits.

‘Students desire belonging to a community’

Students utilize it like a connecting expression in the schoolyard: a student calls it and the other children answer to indicate they’re part of the same group. It resembles a call-and-response or a football chant – an shared vocabulary they use. In my view it has any specific importance to them; they simply understand it’s a trend to say. Whatever the latest craze is, they seek to feel part of it.

It’s prohibited in my learning environment, however – it results in a caution if they shout it out – identical to any other shouting out is. It’s particularly difficult in maths lessons. But my pupils at primary level are nine to 10-year-olds, so they’re relatively adherent to the rules, whereas I recognize that at high school it may be a different matter.

I’ve been a educator for a decade and a half, and these crazes persist for three or four weeks. This craze will die out soon – they always do, especially once their younger siblings start saying it and it’s no longer trendy. Then they’ll be engaged with the following phenomenon.

‘You just have to laugh with them’

I first detected it in August, while educating in English language at a language institute. It was primarily boys saying it. I taught students from twelve to eighteen and it was widespread with the younger pupils. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but being twenty-four and I recognized it was just a meme similar to when I was a student.

These trends are continuously evolving. ““Toilet meme” was a popular meme during the period when I was at my training school, but it failed to exist as much in the classroom. In contrast to ““67”, “skibidi toilet” was never written on the whiteboard in class, so learners were less equipped to pick up on it.

I just ignore it, or sometimes I will smile with the students if I unintentionally utter it, trying to relate to them and recognize that it’s merely contemporary trends. I believe they just want to enjoy that sensation of community and camaraderie.

‘Humorous repetition has reduced its frequency’

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