This study focuses on critical incident analysis in initial teacher education and the part played by the professional learning conversation. A reflection framework was used to identify changes in levels of reflective practice. Conversational skills of the supervising teacher in recognising the "person" in the student teacher, and their management of the student's emotions, appear central to unlocking and increasing critical reflective practice. Dialogues that focused only on training standards, using evidence from practice to "sign off" particular standards, were concerned more with the routines of teaching and less with increased and considered analysis of practice and change. (Contains 2 tables.)