Teacher, What Should My Thoughts Be?

Being a teacher gives me some frightening insights into your future and mine. Based on what I have observed the past few days, the prospects are not too pretty. Yesterday I gave a test in my Economics class. I showed them a cartoon strip for the essay question about a character who was saying he would DIE if he did not go to this music concert. Well, my question for the essay part was to think like an economist and decide why the concert was a want and not a need. I assumed that since we spent an ENTIRE class period discussing the difference between those two things, and since they live on planet earth and have experienced the difference between the two a million times...they should be pretty capable of writing the essay. WRONG. "Mrs. Withee, is this the answer YOU want me to put." "No, Student A, I would like you to write your THOUGHTS about this topic, not just repeat what I have told you." *blank stare is what I get in return*

This has happened before. I have asked the students for a journal entry on the day of the test. I have asked them to "make up" a story about why they did or did not study for the test that day. The students then ask me what their story should be about and if it is "ok". Is imagination dead? Who killed it? Is it possible to revive imagination? I must know. Will my future world be one in which no one under the age of 30 be capable of having an ORIGINAL thought?