This post records a significant milestone in the life of the headguruteacher blog.  I wrote about the first million views here and I’m delighted that my blog continues to be read, shared and commented by so many people.  Here’s how the numbers stack up:

The blog also recently passed the million-mark for separate visitors. It seems that each visitor to the blog clicks about twice on average. In the 16 months since the first million milestone, I’ve largely shared my experience of headship at Highbury Grove School.  This has helped me to formulate my own ideas and provides a useful source of feedback from people who engage with the blogs and associated tweets.  I may have been rather too confessional at times, too unguarded perhaps –  but hopefully I’ve managed to convey a reasonable balance of the joys and challenges of the job in an authentic manner.

I’ve experienced a few major blog events in that time, where blogs have taken off in a big way, beyond my expectations.

The first was a rant about OfSTED at New Year 2014/15 that yielded a detailed response from OfSTED’s Sean Harford and led to discussions about the lack of validity trials for inspections and reports in Schools Week and TES.

OfSTED Outstanding? Just gimme some truth. http://t.co/gMK7u6CtDs Amazing to see where this ended up: @tes #blogpower pic.twitter.com/9XMQSZw2i2

— Tom Sherrington (@headguruteacher) January 9, 2015

The next was a massive response to my Nicky Morgan vs The Bell Curve post. I still haven’t had a reply. For some reason.  This had nearly 30,000 views within a few days… my phone had a melt down.

Nicky Morgan vs The Bell Curve. http://t.co/k3qUeLJxVY pic.twitter.com/vi1UQFyiap

— Tom Sherrington (@headguruteacher) June 30, 2015

The most recent ‘event’ followed a blog about a humble assembly on evolution.  And then  Richard Dawkins got hold of it, a Headteacher with a dubious grip on science got battered on twitter and it all went mad for a while.  Here’s my RT from Richard D himself:

Any school would be fortunate to have a Head like this.

He deals, sensitively but firmly, with brainwashed students https://t.co/HYUAzztsw8

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) January 26, 2016

‘Brainwashed’ isn’t my phrase.  This rather negates the suggested sensitivity.  However, it was encouraging to see how much interest there was in this issue. It seems that we don’t discuss these things enough.

I was delighted by the response to this blog on the principles of effective teaching. It combines my own list the various others and, for some reason, it seems to resonate with people.

Principles of Effective Teaching https://t.co/v1lxboUZBg pic.twitter.com/SQpLFWkEQF

— Tom Sherrington (@headguruteacher) January 10, 2016

A personal favourite blog was this on the disadvantage chasm – and the follow-up which seeks to offer solutions.

The disadvantage ‘gap’ is a chasm. Part 1. https://t.co/KJ5HGud4dv pic.twitter.com/0LgV5ODtpZ

— Tom Sherrington (@headguruteacher) December 13, 2015

The blogs that get the hits day after day are the same: Bill Rogers’ behaviour tips and my assembly compilation (more a matter of a click bait title than the quality – I have to admit). The blogs that have had 10,000 views or more are listed here:

Who knows where it will go from here.  I can sense a slowing down overall…it will take longer to reach the next million mark for sure.  My capacity to write is likely to decrease and already I feel I’m recycling a lot of material….  However, keeping the blog going is not a chore; I enjoy all the interactions and comments – I only delete the really rude ones!  Thanks to everyone who has offered words of challenge or encouragement.  The community of bloggers and tweeters in the edusphere is a source of great strength and wisdom – most of the time.  I love being part of that.  Thanks again.