Blogging A-Z: E is for energetic. Don’t you love it when a colleague says you’re getting a few energetic children in your class next year? Or how about babysitting a couple of energetic kids for 4 hours? In some circles, the word energetic is code for “hyperactive but well-meaning.” Or simply “hyperactive.” I am sometimes described as an energetic person by folks who mean I’m obsessed, driven, and of course, hyper.
But what about energetic that means lively, active, and engaged? Like beauty, energetic is in the eye of the beholder. I know from personal experience that energetic is FAR superior to passive students. I once (just once) had a group which could have been described as comatose. Seriously, I had to check for signs of breathing. They sat unnaturally still, oblivious of me and one another. No, they weren’t medicated (that was my first thought). They weren’t holograms (I checked that out as well). I ended up consulting with an OT on how to get their “engines” started. It was interesting that my vegetative group was followed by the most energetic group I’d seen in years. The energetic kids were engaged in something, even if it wasn’t writing. I never had to check them for a pulse. I will take energetic any day.
