While PIE serves as an acronym for Personal Improvement Educational Plan each letter also reminds of important aspects of Lasallian Pedagogy.
“P”
“P” stands for and reminds that Planning Prevents Poor Performance! Good teachers are not lucky for luck is the residue of good Preparation and Planning! Once a good Plan of Preparation is in place, one must commit to exercising a balance of Patience with Persistence so to not expect too much too early but at the same time be sure to pursue in timely ways what needs attention in order to allow the Prepared Plan to work!
This is what leads to PRUDENCE because PASSION, the energy and enthusiasm for teaching is balanced by a well-made PLAN. Lastly in order to assure that your Prudent Preparation of Planning works seamlessly is the need for PRACTICE!
As the saying goes, Practice makes Perfect!
De La Salle throughout his life and work practiced frequently these “P” words in order to produce a Pedagogy that still proves extremely effective today when thought about and applied faithfully.
“I”
De La Salle created very little Educational Theory. Rather, De La Salle used INNOVATION to INITIATE pragmatic effective pedagogy and practices from educational theories. These methods INSPIRED the desire of students to learn successfully.
The innovative initiatives used by De La Salle and the Brothers created inspirational atmospheres that generated INCLUSIVE educational communities. Here an INTENSE and INTIMATEI NTEREST of students by teachers occurred. The Brothers and De La Salle devised innovative ways of learning about each student so to know what would inspire each student. The intensity of the intimate inclusive INTERACTIONS were such that guided students to help and thereby inspire each other to master lessons.
INSIGHT . . .
is another key aspect of innovation for what De La Salle often emphasized, “Meet the students where they are not where you are!”Insight is core to the Lasallian Virtue of Wisdom. Meeting with insight student needs with innovation demonstrates an intense interest and intimate care students, thus inspiring their desire to learn!
So remember and keep foremost in your mind, “innovation with insight inspires students to experience and feel the intimate inclusivity which initiates and inspire their learning together!”
Certainly Innovation augments and nuance greatly the Planning and Preparation.
“E”
Think how often you encountered teachers who allowed their planned routine to loose innovation, inspiration, or insight thus allowing their teaching to lack energy and engagement and fall into boredom. ENGAGEMENT occurs because of ENTHUSIASM and, yes, ENTERTAINMENT! Entertaining lessons more often than not lead to successful engagement and effective learning! Think of the number of educational experiences that stay with you because of the ENTHUSIASM, ENERGY, and ENTERTAINMENT that was part of the presentation!
I have met teachers who come to fear their students being entertained and, God forbid, have fun! Enthusiastic Entertainment directly leads to Engagement that contributes to the Energy of the classroom members which more often than not unleashes innovative, inspiring, and insightful learning experiences for both teachers and students. Thus, lessons and classroom conduct that is well planned, innovatively implemented with Engaging Enthusiastic Energized Entertainment do not loose decorum, rather, they contribute to wonderful collaborative educational experiences.
De La Salle spoke of many ways for teachers to win the affection of their pupils. He also cautioned against prison door faces, being too stiff, and severe reactions to students. Gravity does not preclude enthusiastic entertainment. In fact, engagement through energetic entertainment is at the heart of living the virtue of gravity with enthusiasm because it reveals good innovative planning!