The purpose of this study was to form a greater understanding of the experiences and challenges confronting K-8 public school teachers of gifted students. Education of the gifted and talented elementary student is the development of a scholar as an independent learner that is autonomous. Public school administrators, general education teachers, and the all-inclusive gifted community must advance the profession of gifted education to address the needs and challenges of gifted and talented students. This qualitative descriptive study examined in what ways K-8 public school teachers with at least five years of experience as a teacher of gifted students described experiences that addressed the complex needs and frustrations of both the teacher and elementary gifted learner. Interview questions were field tested and reviewed by an expert panel. The researcher applied Kolb's experiential learning theory and learned process where knowledge is created from an acquisition and consolidation of transformed applied experiences from a situational range of abstract concepts. Data were collected from two primary sources: 15 individual interviews, and a focus group of five participants. Themes were generated, explored, and analyzed within the context of the research study. Saldana (2011; 2021) recommended a review and application of potential themes to facilitate the interpretation of the data. The findings of this study indicated that understanding the complexities and challenges of gifted education while addressing the social emotional needs and advocating for the gifted learner, family, and schoolwide community was necessary to meet the unique needs of gifted elementary students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]