Crash and burn! It’s the story of so many students’ lives.

Flying through elementary and middle school without a need to study, always being complimented for being so smart…and then suddenly losing that spark. This is what many say is “Gifted Kids Burnout.”

Many students who experience this burnout find it difficult to get back onto that pedestal they were once on–not being able to ace those tests without studying or having those perfect grades that teachers beamed at. Many don’t know how to overcome this. But, with Elkhart High School’s Lunch & Learn series, students don’t need to be alone in this struggle. In fact, they can also learn how to overcome it together.

“Lunch & Learn,” Lisa Ernsberger, the director of high ability, comments, “is an opportunity for like-minded students to get together.” Students who attend these meetings benefit from different learning opportunities, such as understanding SATs, or planning after-school life. The upcoming Lunch & Learn on March 26, however, will be learning about Gifted Kid Burnout and how to overcome it!

Lilliana Godfrey, a senior at Elkhart High School, classifies this gifted student burnout as “a highly gifted student or honors student getting stressed out because of their honors classes and they start to shut down.” As someone who has experienced this type of burnout, Godfrey explains how difficult it has been for her to overcome throughout her education, feeling as if she didn’t want to do anything, despite worrying about her grades. Many parents and teachers will mistake this behavior for laziness, while in reality, the student has just been over pressured by the unrealistic expectations they or others have placed on them.

But, there is light at the end of this tunnel! Gifted student burnout does not have to overtake one’s life completely, as there are ways to overcome it. Both Godfrey and Ernsberger believe that taking a step away from the stress and taking a break to do something else helps with the burnout. Finding different ways to challenge brains can motivate students, as well–as some have begun to realize that sitting down and writing may not be the best way for students to learn, which has proved to be a step forwards in defeating this burnout in the classroom.

Dr. Brian Housand, a worldwide presenter, will be attending this quarter’s Lunch & Learn to discuss more about gifted student burnout and strategies students can use to prevent it. To sign up for this opportunity, students can visit this link: https://events.elkhart.k12.in.us/ or look in their email for the emails Lisa Ernsberger has sent out! Students must be registered to attend!