Turner Report hits 12,000 posts

I never anticipated writing this many posts when this blog started more than seven years ago, but I continue to enjoy writing it as much as I did when it first started.

As I have noted before, it began when I encouraged Diamond High School students Michelle Nickolaisen and Alicia Bradley, who had been my students in middle school, to continue their writing. I had imagined they would go the time honored route of writing journals.

I found out a few days later, they had started blogging, something I had never heard of up to that point. I loved the concept and determined that I would start a blog. I was still working on Wildcat Central, the Diamond Middle School news website at that time, so I did not officially start blogging until I moved to the Joplin R-8 School District.

As I tell my students each year, "If I'm going to make you write every day (and I do), then I am going to do the same."

And so I have.

The readership of The Turner Report has increased from about 35 per day through most of the first year I blogged full time to averaging approximately 600 readers per day last year with gusts of up to 6,000 when there have been stories of major interest such as the Pete Newman scandal, the West Mesa murders, or some of the major political stories.

Thanks to all of you readers who have continued to frequent this site over the years.

Now it's time for post number 12,001.