How did it get started and when?

I started it on 1 July 2015 on Twitter as a way to end the academic year on a positive note, as many educators and I had experienced a tough year. In addition to that, by the time July starts, students and staff are more than ready for the summer break to begin.

What exactly does it entail?

#21daysJuly helps educators to engage with the five themes of #Teacher5ADay. I tweet out daily challenges from 1 to 21 July suggesting ways to aid our collective wellbeing via #connect, #exercise, #learn, #notice and #volunteer. For example, on 1 July, bring in some fruit or snacks for your colleagues to enjoy during their break; on 10 July, tweet and thank three teachers that challenged yet helped you this year; and on 14 July, tweet a photo of your local sunset.

Did it prove more popular than you had originally expected?

It did, as many educators who participated requested more suggestions beyond the 21 days, so I created three bonus activities in July 2015 and 10 bonus activities in July 2016. During June 2016, I also had several headteachers contacting me to request an overview of the activities, so that they could get their whole school involved.

How has it expanded?

It has since led to many other monthly initiatives, such as #digiskillshare, #fitfeb and #wintercalendar. This year, I will run it alongside #21daysJuly leadership postcards, where 21 leaders - including myself - will share postcards showcasing how we maintain our wellbeing and linking them to one of the five #Teacher5ADay themes.