“Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable; but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it. The function of the mere critic is of very subordinate usefulness. It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger.” Theodore Roosevelt 1894.
If I don’t follow the same rules I preach to teachers, what good is my advice?
The most effective coaches, evaluators, observers are the ones who describe what they see, able to jump in and teach themselves, model best practice in everything they do, show by their actions that they really believe it is what works for people to learn.
We earn a right to criticize when we show we are credible educators.