To Participate or Not in Large Class Discussions

[wildviolet]

So my cohort is comprised of 24 people ranging in age from 24 to about 40 with many different life and educational experiences prior to coming to graduate school. During the first semester, we were split into two smaller groups for our common seminar course. This semester, all of us are together for the second common seminar course. It's really difficult to have good doctoral level discussions with so many people. What ends up happening is that, rather than engage in dialogue, people end up talking in parallel (in terms of the issues they choose to bring up) or go off on tangents. I don't blame our professors--this is a doctoral level course, and we're responsible for contributing to the class environment (as are all students in any classroom).

 

Also, while the professors made it clear that everyone is supposed to participate, a few people (i.e., the brown-nosers) end up talking the most. So, to protest this situation (in my own weird way), I have chosen recently not to participate in large class discussions. I'll talk in small groups, and I do the readings, etc. But, I also find it an interesting experiment to see if the same pattern repeats itself every time or if the talkers will realize that they're always the ones talking. I used to talk, too, but I'm careful about not talking too much to allow others the space to contribute.

 

Yeah, I'm a bit annoyed. I'm in education, so I'm always thinking about how what we're talking about (e.g., power issues in the classroom) play out in our doctoral program courses. And I'm annoyed that some of my colleagues are "doing school" just like elementary school students who behave and sit still to earn gold stars while at the same time professing to be "critical" scholars who think they know what's best for underprivileged students when they've been privileged their whole lives.

 

So what do you make of this situation?

 

I talked about this with my one trusted colleague, and she thinks I'm not helping the situation by staying silent (she chooses to speak up at least once during the class). At the same time, I don't see that speaking up is going to help. I'm not looking to make a change. I'm just interested in how some people are so busy sucking up to the professors that they always have to say something, even if it doesn't move the discussion forward.

Edited February 24, 2013 by wildviolet

[CageFree]

I agree with your colleague. Rather than calling those who participate "brown nosers," if I were you, I'd make sure that my voice is heard. If you think people are going on tangents, why not steer the conversation in a different direction? Bring up something new? I bet you're not the only who feels like the discussions are unproductive.

 

Your "protest," unless you speak to the professor, is likely to come across as you having nothing to contribute and in the end, the only one who will be negatively affected is you. :/

[Guest |||]

You are not going to win over anything by being silent.  Sadly, while they may be irritating, they are the only ones completing the poriton of the syallabus that asks for student contribution.  Whether or not they are over doing it, is still better than doing nothing.

 

 

Contribute, do your best, and if you really would like, find a point or idea mentioned by one of these students and demonstrate its flaws and issues.

[zapster]

Agree, being silent will not really help the situation. I would try to find a polite way to actually come straight to the point - i.e. when things are going off on a tangent, you may want to actually say so and steer the discussion back to what you consider relevant (without referring to any specific individual of course).

[wildviolet]

I agree with your colleague. Rather than calling those who participate "brown nosers," if I were you, I'd make sure that my voice is heard. If you think people are going on tangents, why not steer the conversation in a different direction? Bring up something new? I bet you're not the only who feels like the discussions are unproductive.

 

Your "protest," unless you speak to the professor, is likely to come across as you having nothing to contribute and in the end, the only one who will be negatively affected is you. :/

 

The funny thing is that my colleague thinks of them as brown nosers, too. Anyway, I respect her for trying to shift the conversation as you suggest. However, even when she has done that, her comment just disappears into thin air because no one responds to it in any constructive way, so I'm like, "what's the point"? Informal conversations with others have confirmed that I'm definitely not the only one who feels this way. At least I like the topic of the class--others actually dislike it (but still pretend like they do in class to please the professors).

 

I've actually contributed every day up until the last two weeks, so I'm not fearful that the professors will think of me as someone who is disengaged or has nothing to contribute. We have other small assignments, like weekly commentaries in which I've scored really well. Anyway, grades don't matter, and we get a 4.0 unless we need help, then we get a 3.5. In terms of grades, I won't be hurt at all. But, in terms of developing critical discourse skills--I'm not hopeful that these large group discussions will help, so I'll look elsewhere in my program for that.

 

I guess the thing is that I'm disappointed with my colleagues (and perhaps myself!). The newness of grad school is starting to wear off! People are going to be the same no matter what--as they say, everything I need to know, I learned in kindergarten (or something like that)! People putting their individual interests before the group's is nothing new. I just thought that, as a collective, we'd all be willing (and able) to engage in dialogic discourse.

 

I agree with you all that being silent doesn't help. However, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Joining the discussion doesn't seem to help, either!

 

P.S. I did mention this on my mid-term course evaluation, so I'll see in the next couple of weeks what my professors say about this issue.

Edited February 24, 2013 by wildviolet

[rising_star]

Hi wildviolet,

 

I totally know what you mean. My cohort was 15 and, when added with people that missed a semester for various reasons, my first year courses had 18-20 students in them. I basically did not participate at all, not because I wasn't interested, not because I'm shy but, because I find it really hard to get a word in when there are 5-7 students that dominate the conversation and basically run roughshod over others when they have the audacity to open their mouths, you know? Anyway, I can sympathize but don't really have loads of advice to give. I basically only said anything in our fall required class when I felt like everyone was wrong and/or not recognizing the hypocrisy of what they were saying. In a sense, it made people take what I said more seriously, and I was able to get a few more comments in during the spring course, probably because of that. But, in both cases, I made sure that the instructor knew that I knew the material and just wasn't talking because of the classrooom atmosphere.

 

BTW, as someone taking a course on teaching right now, I'm appalled that your colleagues, who are future educators, aren't cognizant of how their classroom behavior affects the classroom atmosphere. Yes, it's on the teacher but it's also on the students since we work together to co-create the classroom, you know?

[TakeruK]

I also agree with others and your friend who say that being silent isn't going to do anything. If the prof is not noticing that several students are dominating the discussion and if the students themselves don't notice, what's the chance that they will notice your silence?

 

I can appreciate that Education might be a different field, and I also recognize the danger in letting a few voices dominate the discussion. I notice this when I was TAing for physics labs -- sometimes in group work, one student would totally dominate the discussion when I'm talking with their group about their experiment. I had to be careful to make sure to ask direct questions to the quieter group member(s) to make sure they can get their questions answered and to ensure they also knew the material. However, I think success in academia is more than just knowing the right things. You have to be able to present it well and be assertive. One prof described it to us as being "in your face" but I think that's taking it a bit too far. However, I do think in grad school, at conferences, in academia, we need to take action to make ourselves heard and seen. We cannot expect to simply do really good work and wait for others to notice us -- we need to tell others about the great stuff we're doing!

 

So, back to your classroom example, what do you really hope to gain from refraining from discussions. Are you hoping the prof would realise, "Wait a minute, wildviolet used to talk all the time, but now she isn't. I wonder what's wrong?" or something like that? Why wait for someone to notice your inaction when you can be proactive and take action instead. In your shoes, I would go to your prof's office hours (or set up an appointment) and let them know your concerns about their class. They might not even be noticing it. Or if you really want to speak out, bring up the topic in the middle of class. Or you can just write this in an email or leave an anonymous note.

 

When I taught in the past, I try to get feedback from my students. Sometimes it's helpful for a prof to send out an anonymous feedback form in the middle of the term. One format that I've seen work well is a simple page that says "Start _____" "Stop ______" "Continue _______", where students fill in the blank with something they want the instructor to start doing, stop doing, and keep doing. Another way is to assign a spokesperson for the class and have all the students email that person who will then forward to the prof, anonymously. This might work better in small classes or grad classes though.

 

I'm usually not shy about being upfront to profs when I don't agree with what they are doing in class, so I tend to prefer to go to their office hours or write an email. I'm always respectful of it and I don't present it as a demand of changes, but rather, some feelings I have about the way the course is run and my ability to learn.  I don't always expect change to happen, but I think it is important for instructors to receive direct feedback and for the students to shape the course into the experience that we want to have. So, while I agree that in grad school, students have to take more responsibility for their own learning, it is disappointing to hear about a case where the instructors seem to be completely unaware of the one-sided discussions! 

[wtncffts]

I agree with everyone else that doing the whole 'silent protest' thing isn't going to help. I'd bet a lot that nobody will even notice. And I also agree that if you have real concerns you should bring them up with the prof. Contrary to a point you made in the OP, I think it IS the job of the prof to ensure useful and equitable class discussion. IMO, at the graduate level that's their only essential job, since, as you say, discussions are student-led.

 

I also think that if at all possible you should try to engage the colleagues you're 'annoyed' at, not only to help in the class specifically but because a supportive, congenial (if not friendly) atmosphere is a much better place to spend years in than a poisonous, antagonistic one.  

[CarlieE]

Grad seminars are famous sites for posturing. Honestly, in some of my classes I wouldn't be surprised to see a student get up and thump him/herself on the chest and whoop like a primate in some bid for discussion dominance. 

 

Sometimes I find myself checking out of the discussion when things get to be too much. I give myself a few minutes to blow off steam by texting/fb chatting to a friend, usually one back home who doesn't know the Chest-Thumper  

 

Then after I give myself a few minutes to calm down, I try to re-enter the discussion, but on another topic or bring one up. 

 

 

[fuzzylogician]

I agree with the other posters who said that not participating will only hurt you and is unlikely to help fix the situation. My best bet would be to try and "gang up" on the talkers together with your colleague who points out when things go off course. If you are able to respond to her comments seriously and steer the discussion back on track, instead of letting her comment get drowned by the other irrelevant comments, that will be appreciated by your other colleagues and professors.

[ladyling]

My classes are a lot smaller than yours by the sound of it, and I'm not exactly shy in the classroom. Still, I've found there are a handful of people who don't seem to have a problem steamrolling other people in class discussions (i.e., they never defer when someone else starts speaking at the same time as they do, or they interrupt other speakers regularly). In my experience, there are two ways to handle these folks. The first and most assertive is a well-placed hand. If someone starts to interrupt while you speak, hold up one finger (not that one ) in their direction to show them you're not done, and continue speaking. If the problem is that they don't defer, the situation is trickier, and best handled with the help of the professor. What I'd recommend here is to mention to the professor that you find it difficult to make your voice heard in classes where there are many over-participators. Don't bring other folks into it (that will seem passive-aggressive), and don't blame her--just let her know that you're having trouble navigating these situations, and ask for her advice. In all likelihood, she either a.) doesn't realize it's a problem and just thinks that the rest of the class is prone to silence or b.) sees that it's a problem but isn't sure what to do about it. It may be the case that the two of you can work out a plan of action that will benefit not only you, but everyone else involved.

 

I would also argue that your interpretation of your colleagues' behavior may be unnecessarily harsh. Certain people do express their insecurities in the classroom through over-participation, but it's equally plausible that they're a combination of interested in the topic and unaware of the effects of their actions on the rest of the classroom dynamic.

Edited February 25, 2013 by ladyling

[wildviolet]

I would also argue that your interpretation of your colleagues' behavior may be unnecessarily harsh. Certain people do express their insecurities in the classroom through over-participation, but it's equally plausible that they're a combination of interested in the topic and unaware of the effects of their actions on the rest of the classroom dynamic.

 

You're right. I've noticed that some people get really red when they speak to the whole class.

[juilletmercredi]

You aren't really helping the situation by staying silent, even though that's a valid personal choice.  You could conceivably bring up some of the issues you are stewing about to the rest of the group - about the difficulty that privileged individuals have in understanding the disadvantage, about the concept of "doing school" and rewarding a particular type of student behavior.  When people go off on tangents, you can ask questions like "But is that really relvant when we're talking about X?" or bring the conversation back to the topic at hand.  If you are blunt, you could even flat-out say that the conversation is unproductive and express why you feel that way - because they haven't touched on X, they are ignoring Y, or they are interpreting Z wrong.

 

If someone interrupts you, point out that they cut you off and finish your sentence.  I used to be a chronic interrupter, because that's the way we communicate in my family.  Everyone interrupts and talks over everyone else and somehow we all understand the conversation at hand.  It's chaos.  I didn't even realize people were offended by it until people gently pointed it ou to me.  I've become aware of it and I don't anymore, even though I sometimes have to mentally tell myself "Hold that thought."  I say this because many of your classmates may not even realize what they are doing unless someone points it out, and your professors don't seem really interested in being the one to do it.

 

Part of the scholarly conversation is speaking up to be heard, especially if you feel like all the other scholars in the conversation are doing it wrong.

[wildviolet]

I also agree with others and your friend who say that being silent isn't going to do anything. If the prof is not noticing that several students are dominating the discussion and if the students themselves don't notice, what's the chance that they will notice your silence?

 

I can appreciate that Education might be a different field, and I also recognize the danger in letting a few voices dominate the discussion. I notice this when I was TAing for physics labs -- sometimes in group work, one student would totally dominate the discussion when I'm talking with their group about their experiment. I had to be careful to make sure to ask direct questions to the quieter group member(s) to make sure they can get their questions answered and to ensure they also knew the material. However, I think success in academia is more than just knowing the right things. You have to be able to present it well and be assertive. One prof described it to us as being "in your face" but I think that's taking it a bit too far. However, I do think in grad school, at conferences, in academia, we need to take action to make ourselves heard and seen. We cannot expect to simply do really good work and wait for others to notice us -- we need to tell others about the great stuff we're doing!

 

So, back to your classroom example, what do you really hope to gain from refraining from discussions. Are you hoping the prof would realise, "Wait a minute, wildviolet used to talk all the time, but now she isn't. I wonder what's wrong?" or something like that? Why wait for someone to notice your inaction when you can be proactive and take action instead. In your shoes, I would go to your prof's office hours (or set up an appointment) and let them know your concerns about their class. They might not even be noticing it. Or if you really want to speak out, bring up the topic in the middle of class. Or you can just write this in an email or leave an anonymous note.

 

When I taught in the past, I try to get feedback from my students. Sometimes it's helpful for a prof to send out an anonymous feedback form in the middle of the term. One format that I've seen work well is a simple page that says "Start _____" "Stop ______" "Continue _______", where students fill in the blank with something they want the instructor to start doing, stop doing, and keep doing. Another way is to assign a spokesperson for the class and have all the students email that person who will then forward to the prof, anonymously. This might work better in small classes or grad classes though.

 

I'm usually not shy about being upfront to profs when I don't agree with what they are doing in class, so I tend to prefer to go to their office hours or write an email. I'm always respectful of it and I don't present it as a demand of changes, but rather, some feelings I have about the way the course is run and my ability to learn.  I don't always expect change to happen, but I think it is important for instructors to receive direct feedback and for the students to shape the course into the experience that we want to have. So, while I agree that in grad school, students have to take more responsibility for their own learning, it is disappointing to hear about a case where the instructors seem to be completely unaware of the one-sided discussions! 

 

So, the thing about being in Education is that we can examine our own context just as much as any context (e.g., K-12 classroom, undergraduate courses). I'm at a top school in Education--the professors know what's going on. They are very supportive of doctoral students. At the same time, however, they are not going to hold our hands through the process, and my feeling is that part of the process is letting students sort it out. They already stated expectations concerning large group discussions at the beginning of the semester (and it's in written form in the syllabus). And, I provided direct and blunt feedback to them anonymously in the mid-term course survey--I'll see if they say anything about it in two weeks.

 

I already stated that I'm not hoping to gain anything from not participating in the sense of speaking out to the larger group--this is why my colleague is frustrated with me! Several people have pointed out that's it's not helping, and I agree. However, my goal is to not help the discussion (because I see it as a useless goal at this point)--my goal is to sit back and see what unfolds.

 

So, the way I make sense of how people are responding to my post is that several people are framing their responses in terms of how my actions are either helping or hindering the quality of large group discussions or how my actions are hurting only myself (in what ways, I'm not sure). Others chose to share their personal experiences as a way to corroborate my experiences. Still, others bring up points that they think may be relevant (such as ladyling's assertion that my interpretations of others actions' were unnecessarily harsh). None of these ways of responding are better than the others. They are what they are, and that's why I like GC--the variety of viewpoints expressed brings richness to the discussion. THIS is what is missing in my class.

 

Also, I understand the comments about being assertive in academia--I am proactive and assertive in general, but this time I am choosing not to be.

Edited February 27, 2013 by wildviolet

[Dal PhDer]

I just have to say, I don't think I've ever experienced a graduate school discussion that was heated or oppressive...maybe it's the culture here in the Maritimes, but 'most' of the students always raise their hand to speak, and typically aren't critical of others' ideas- we might pose a question that asks the other student to think about the topic from a different perspective, but I have never experienced another student being harshly critical or demeaning to another. I do know students who over engage in class (*waves her hand*), and recently I've been trying to limit myself to two-three short points/comments/questions to a 3 hour class, but honestly- it's how I learn. 

 

I learn by discussing and talking, and hearing other people's ideas/points, because it makes me question/think about my own opinion. I think a lot of people, like myself, don't realize they're taking hold of the class. I find I talk more when no one talks, because I want to fill the awkward silence. I also talk more when I'm engaged or excited about the topic - or when I know participation is part of the evaluation.

 

I guess you can choose whichever way you want to go. I have to agree that not speaking probably won't solve anything- as you'll most likely just get absorbed into the background. But my biggest thing is that I would feel I'm not learning or getting what I need out of the class. I know when I sit back and stew about a students/topic/issue, I glaze over the content and miss opportunities to learn- and I might be worried that if I sat back and watched the landscape unfold, I would be overlooking the content that is being raised in the discussion.

 

With all that said- I think it is the professors responsibility (along with the students) to manage and direct the discussion. And I think you did the right thing by commenting on the issue- they might not know that this is an issue in the first place, and so you're allowing them to correct it. But also, I think as the others have said, redirecting the conversation back is a good way to develop the skills that your professor seems to lack!

 

Honestly, I don't know what you should do. I think you're in a difficult situation...and I'm probably one of those students you would be upset with! BUT, coming from that perspective, I would want to know if I'm 'too much', so maybe talking to them or commenting in a nice but to the point way would be helpful to you, the class, and them!

[ZeChocMoose]

I hope you will see a change in the classroom dynamics after your feedback on the midterm evaluation.  I would like to think that people in education should be more cognizant of their classroom behavior but I doubt that is true. There are people who like to dominate discussions in every discipline. And Dal PhDer brings up a good point that some people need to talk with others to process their thoughts and you might have that going on in the classroom as well.

 

So yes, you can sit there and not participate.  Personally, I would find it boring not to speak in a 3 hour discussion but if this is how you make peace with the situation then so be it.  I don't think this is a valid response (not engaging) to use if it keeps on happening though in different classrooms in different semesters though.  It will make you seem disengaged to the faculty and to your fellow cohort mates and it would make me start to resent the people who won't let me talk.  I like the suggestions (up thread) to be more proactive about how to solve the problem of classroom domination instead of watching it play out in front of me.

Edited February 28, 2013 by ZeChocMoose

[wildviolet]

I hope you will see a change in the classroom dynamics after your feedback on the midterm evaluation.  I would like to think that people in education should be more cognizant of their classroom behavior but I doubt that is true. There are people who like to dominate discussions in every discipline. And Dal PhDer brings up a good point that some people need to talk with others to process their thoughts and you might have that going on in the classroom as well.

 

So yes, you can sit there and not participate.  Personally, I would find it boring not to speak in a 3 hour discussion but if this is how you make peace with the situation then so be it.  I don't think this is a valid response (not engaging) to use if it keeps on happening though in different classrooms in different semesters though.  It will make you seem disengaged to the faculty and to your fellow cohort mates and it would make me start to resent the people who won't let me talk.  I like the suggestions (up thread) to be more proactive about how to solve the problem of classroom domination instead of watching it play out in front of me.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

I just want to clarify that this is the only class where the issue of classroom domination has been particularly irksome. So, one out of five courses this year isn't so bad.

 

I'm not saying that this is my typical approach to class discussions. In fact, I'm usually one of the more active participants... thus, my idea of experimenting with sitting back and watching what happens. Partly, though, I think it's a consequence of large groups. My favorite class this semester has only nine students--we sit around a large table instead of at individual desks in a large circle around the room (I wonder if the large space in the middle makes the environment less conducive to dialogue), and it's much easier to engage in spirited and relevant discussions.

[MissC]

Hi Wildviolet

 

It looks like some time has passed since your original post and I hope things are shaping up in your seminar. I had a couple thoughts.

 

1. The inherent challenges of large classes suck. They sucked when we were 5 and they suck now. Sorry you have to be in that situation. I do think it can stifle learning and I hope you are able to get what you want fro this particular course. Hopefully it will be the exception and not the norm. You mention the other classes seem to be okay so I hope this is still the case.

 

2. I am trained in conflict resolution and group dynamics and if you feel brazen enough, I would suggest the following approach that I have both observed and utilized:

 

A- Name the issue. Make the observation out loud to the whole group that you have noticed challenging and frustrating dynamics in the class due to the size and varying levels of participation. Shift this observation to a question and ask if other members have noticed this. Also, consider inviting particularly quiet students by name to weigh in.  This is a great way to make a point (that is certain to catch more attention than silence), invite quiet members in, and give more active students a pause to consider what you have mentioned.

 

B- If you are feeling especially bold, you could even call out a couple talkers by name (maybe call out is the wrong word) but mention that their level of participation seems to significantly outweigh other speakers and then question whether that affects the learning of other group members. This does not need to be done in a mean-spirited way, but rather as an inquiry, a curiosity. Since you are all in the field of education, it seems like a valid exploration of learning styles?- especially if it can be tied to course content in some way.

 

C- Spell out exactly what you have here. Share with your class the fact that you have stayed silent recently because you found the levels of participation interesting. Express your frustration that at the graduate student level, elementary behavior still seems to be a challenge and basic struggles with accountability for learning and assertive expression can still be observed quite clearly.

 

I just re-read your original post and other than a couple phrasing adjustments, I think you could share most of the thoughts with your class. Sometimes it seems like furstrations fester for so long that the frustration from stressing about a problem becomes more harmful than the actual problem. Who knows? With as many students in a discussion as you mention, I'd bet you've got a couple co-sufferers (made up word?) out there you don't even know about.

 

D- Don't listen to me. You seem to have a great level of awareness of classroom dynamics, and while I know very little about education theory, etc.- that stands out in my mind as a very important and admirable trait. That is something your over-participators will not be able to include in their list of skills. I also love the fact that you are kind of creating a little microcosm experiment within your class. Quite scholarly indeed:) It's great to bounce ideas off of people here but you seem to have your sh-tuff figured out.

 

I hope things have improved!

 

C-

Edited March 26, 2013 by C-Diggy

[wildviolet]

Hi C-Diggy--those are indeed some bold moves that you suggest! It's nice of you to say that you think I have my sh-tuff figured out... I wish I did, too! Honestly, one more month left, and I have way too many final papers to write and ideas to consolidate.

 

Anyway, the situation has improved somewhat--it's not ideal by any means, but it's better than it was before. My professors did not address the issue per se, but we've had more small group discussions, during which I can think aloud and show what I know to both my colleagues and my professors (when they stop by the group to eavesdrop and offer suggestions). The same people still speak out and the same people still stay quiet--recently one of our professors called on one of the quiet students to answer a tough question, and she was quite flustered and fumbled her way through a response. I felt bad for her, but our professors did warn us at the beginning of the semester that they might call on people, so I guess it doesn't pay to stay too quiet! This person hardly ever speaks, even in informal and low-stakes environments, so I guess she's just super shy, but it does make it hard for the professors to know what we're thinking if we don't speak up.

[Andean Pat]

Hi! I've taken some education courses at graduate level and completely understand your situation: in some courses we were around 50!!! Imagine the age range (22---ummm 50s) and the background. As yours, our professors encouraged dialogue and class participation but did not happen often. The main reason was the lack of the professors' managing skills. I am a teacher, you probably know very well that the steer of the class is held by the teacher/professor, not these people you mention that speak a lot. 

 

Clearly, not speaking does not add up, especially because it seems others are doing the same so you leave room for those who speak a lot. I used to do that  

 

I think it was great of you to mention it in your mid term evaluation. Maybe the professors did not realize or maybe they are expecting a more active role on your (I mean, the rest of the class') behalf. What if you have some of those informal conversations with one of these super speakers? It's only a suggestion, I know in my case it wouldn't have worked. One of them was such a lickboot that in a final exam of theology he talked about some early modern literature thing. That much of a speaker he was. 

 

All in all, from teacher to teacher, maybe you can practise your own management skills and steer the discussions?  

[redrenee]

Hi WildViolet!

 

This is my first response I've posted to GradCafe. Fitting, no?

 

I just wanted to shout you out for recognizing the bullshit circle jerk that happens in academia. And I get the method of staying silent. But this is also your education as well, and you're in a PhD program, so you're in it for the long haul. How much longer can you stand it?

 

Why not just call it out? I think if I were in your situation, rather than staying silent I might make mention of the fact that it was happening. I can't stand hearing people talk just to hear themselves talk! And I feel like the field of education tends to be more forgiving when it comes to formal rules/etiquette of collegiality.

 

Of course, take my words with a grain of salt. I had a reputation for my bullshit meter. Sometimes it worked for me, and other times it didn't. But I don't regret a single moment that I spoke my mind.

 

Good luck!