What is the Blue Book?
The Blue Book assists early childhood teachers in recording, organising and tracking their work as well as information. From the moment teachers embark on their teaching career, they gain experience, culminating in professional growth and learning. Documenting this learning journey is particularly useful for provisionally certificated teachers. However, it is also pertinent for fully certificated teachers, for their annual appraisal and performance review, in line with Licensing Criteria requirements.
The Blue Book is available as a hard copy folder and in online form.
Where did it come from?
The Early Childhood Council (ECC) produced the Teachers Registration Handbook some years ago. When the (then) New Zealand Teachers Council published the Registered Teachers Criteria (RTC), the ECC took the opportunity to revise the Blue Book to take account of the RTC and to add functionality to the Blue Book, so it could also assist teachers in their preparation for their appraisal / performance review process. It has since kept up with the various changes, and the Blue Book now reflects and incorporates the change to the Standards for the Teaching Profession.
How was it constructed?
The Blue Book was revised by a team of qualified early childhood teachers. A number of centre managers and the New Zealand Teachers Council / Teaching Council were also consulted.
The Blue Book Online builds on the folder, providing additional guidance for teachers in each of the main components: “My Portfolio”, “My Plan” and “My Appraisal”.
How does it work?
The Blue Book Online consists of three main components:
My Portfolio – Link your practice, thoughts, and current knowledge to the Standards for the Teaching Profession. You can use the Portfolio functions to keep track of your growing expertise. This section also offers you a number of additional documents, and links to information.
- Reflective Questions: Develop and expand on your learning by engaging with the Standards through reflective questions; either your own or select from the bank of prepared questions.
- Library: Assemble your own reference library of learning and upload readings, notes, photos, videos – everything you deem useful for your learning.
- Comments: Discuss your views and progress with your mentor / appraiser and receive comments – no need for frequent meetings!
- Self-evaluation: Establish your strengths, set yourself goals and topics for discussion with your mentor / appraiser
- Teacher/Mentor Agreement: Set expectations with a professional agreement
- Centre Quality Practice Plan: Understand what the Standards for the Teaching Profession look like in practice at your ECE service and identify the context you work within. This is a team effort and learning exercise to establish agreed centre practices.
My Plan – Having established your context and baseline of knowledge in ‘My Portfolio’ you can proceed to identify your own individual goals, interests and priorities. Here, too, you can link everything you do to the Standards for the Teaching Profession. This section offers you the following functions to track your individual work:
- Objectives: Set yourself specific goals based on the Self-Evaluation you undertook in ‘My Portfolio’; either your own or select one from the prepared goals in the bank.
- Documentation: Accumulate your teaching resources and lesson plans, and store your track record of your growing insights and experience.
- Activities: Keep a record of your individual reviews / projects / inquiries and have them signed off by your mentor / appraiser.
- Comments: Your mentor / appraiser can view your work and leave informed comments to support your professional learning
- Centre Quality Practice Plan: The completed document will have provided much professional learning material and inspiration for discussions. You can upload it here. You can also store your signed Teacher / Mentor Agreement here
My Appraisal – this section combines information from My Portfolio with the work you undertook in My Plan. Processing what you have worked through helps identify your professional growth and learning. Here, too, you can establish links to the Standards for the Teaching Profession. This section analyses your progress and satisfaction as well as areas you would like to invest more time in. These functions facilitate and support your appraisal and performance review and completes the annual certification cycle:
- Evaluation: Analyse the results of your Inquiries / Projects / Goals - your mentor / appraiser can comment and sign these off individually
- Appraisal Conversation Notes: Document your professional discussions, questions and support.
- Observations and Feedback from Mentor / Appraiser: Document your professional learnings and reflect on the advice you have received.
- Annual Appraisal Summary Report: Complete your annual appraisal and certification cycle.