Students that are labelled as gifted are experiencing “Gifted Kid Burnout.” With this, they are unable to smoothly adjust once they reach high school and college. Schools are failing kids that are labelled as gifted. The solution to this is to stop treating honors classes like they are just as good for gifted kids as other programs.
There is a solution to this however. First, stop equating honors classes with classes specifically for gifted students. Second, continue classes specifically for gifted students into high school. These classes should encourage students to pursue their specific interests. Grading should be based upon how the student spends their time class and the amount of effort they put into learning about the subject. This could help gifted kids to maintain an interest in school.
A new meme is sweeping the internet; gifted kid burnout bingo. Instagram user angstyfairy created the original meme which pictured below. The post amassed over 9,000 likes. Comments include “this is literally the most relatable thing I’ve ever seen,” “every box applies to me,” and “every frame of this resonates.” Obviously, people relate to the condition being shown with the meme. While there are not as many studies on this subject as there should be, a study done by Cornell showed that “kids labeled as gifted are more likely to report adjustment difficulties.” According to this meme, those adjustment difficulties lead to drug usage, lack of motivation, and anxiety.
Kids are labelled as gifted when they “have the ability to perform at higher levels compared to others of the same age,” according to the National Association for Gifted Children. Up to 10% of U.S. students are labelled as gifted. The reason these kids are identified this way is because they can then participate in accelerated programs such as pull out classes. Most schools in Texas have these types of programs until the student reaches high school. Instead of a pull out class, they are encouraged to take honors, or accelerated, classes.
But here’s the thing about that, a kid being gifted does not mean that they learn faster than others necessarily. It means that they have a deep interest in critical thinking, certain subjects, and creating. AP or Dual Credit classes do not necessarily allow gifted students to pursue these things, they just have more rigorous coursework. These classes do not meet their needs and high school is when gifted students need these things the most.
Gifted students are experiencing burnout and schools should do more for them. Look at any school and you will find a population of gifted kids that are being failed by the education system.