Emancipatory learning can occur through critical reflection grounded in theory. This study describes an action research project in which the author engaged in retrospective structured analysis of an incident involving visual documentation of student learning. It was experienced by a struggling novice teacher educator, who at the time of the incident had neither the theoretical nor structured framework from which to process the experience. Using the transformation theory of adult learning as the basis from which to create a reflection model, the action research examined assumptions about filters and meaning schemes through which insights emerged about a changed paradigm, with implications for other teacher educators about reflective practice. (Contains 7 tables.)