Edmundson Summary

Edmundson begins this essay by portraying the scene of teacher assessment day, by depicting the student as a consumer. Throughout most kid’s lives, they have been taught to live with a consumer mentality, even in the classroom. This point is supported by the facts, that kids are able to assess the teacher with such “calm consumer expertise,” which is easier for them they writing a paragraph. The students say that they like him as a teacher because he makes the material interesting to them. This leads to the next main point which is how our culture is becoming primarily entertainment driven. There is no more passion or enthusiasm in students because they have been taught that calm is “cool”. They have been taught that in a perfect life there are no outbursts of passion, and no deviations from the norm. Lastly, they have been taught that if you were to deviate from the standard, and you don’t blend in, you will be excluded and snubbed. Another point is how equality has become the new stand out. Students have been sheltered and made to believe that the best thing is to be like everyone else. They don’t want to take chances because they fear that failure could completely mess up the future that they are supposed to have. Edmundson states that in order for a student to be different, or excellent, they have to work to go against the conformity. They have to try to be strange. However, another point of Edmundon’s is that it’s not the students fault. Universities everywhere are conforming also. College is becoming motivated by the customer and starting to reach out to students to see what they want. Students are now given more and more choices, and entire departments of schools are loosening to give students an easier time. Students are given power over the teachers, while teachers also have power over the students. This makes both parties unwilling to take chances in fear that they could somehow offend and put themselves in jeopardy. Teachers are making entertainment take the front seat over learning by conforming to the student’s wishes that it be that way. Edmundson’s last point is the outcome of skepticism over genius. Students have no opinions, just want to have everything be easy, don’t want to take chances. Therefore, the thought of genius is disappearing because it is opposite to what the consumer culture kids are exposed to is teaching. It is no longer commended and no one cares because they don’t want to take chances anyways. But what is the solution? Edmundson states that the solution lies in the individual students, they alone must decide to go against the conformity in order to renew the thought of genius and passion.