Provide short biographical notes on all contributors here if the journal requires them. Note on contributor Naomi McLeod started her career as an early years teacher and deputy head teacher. She now works as a Senior Lecturer at Liverpool Hope University as part of the Childhood Department leading both undergraduate and post graduate courses. She also teaches and contributes to the QTS and PGCE programmes. Naomi recently completed her doctorate at the University of Sheffield and continues her research interests working closely with education and creative professionals in the field of critical reflection and participatory teaching and learning, In doing so, she is particularly interested in the use of creative methodologies.

This paper explores whether teacher's habits and assumptions about their practice can be enhanced by Continued Professional Development through nurturing self-awareness of lived experiences. Within the paper a practical understanding of critical reflection as a process is explored and particular attention is given to Moon's (2008) assertion that one person cannot make another person reflect. Reflection as a process is re-evaluated through the application of Theory U and the axiom that reflection needs to start with the self. The paper's central argument is that at the heart of critical reflection is the need for embodied readiness. Without such openness as the first step, critical reflection is misinterpreted. The main outcome of the study was the development of '9 R's of Reflection', a practical framework which enabled critical reflection to become part of teachers' day to day practice enabling them to focus positively on the challenges they faced within the applied educational setting. The findings of the study demonstrate that the '9 R's' broke down sites of conflict between the desire to follow children's interests and the pressure to conform to the technical demands that dominate modern education so that the teachers changed their habits and become better at participatory teaching.

After many years of teaching across Early Years and Key Stage 1 in Liverpool and Cheshire, and as a Deputy Head teacher, Naomi led Early Childhood and the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Early Years Teacher Education programme at Liverpool Hope University. Most recently Naomi is at Liverpool John Moores University teaching across Early Childhood and Education Studies and leading the MA in International Approaches to Early Childhood Education. Her doctorate focused on developing pedagogical participation for young children and Continued Professional Development for teachers and early years professionals across the sector. This continues to be a research interest evident in her published work and in the working partnerships she has developed with educators and creative professionals in the field of Early Years, creativity and participation. Naomi is currently working with Family curators at Tate Liverpool nurturing a sense of self through artwork as a provocation for philosophical enquiry. She also engaged in the initial stages of a collaborative comparative study involving 4 universities looking at the 'multiple identities of Early Childhood students for a quality workforce'. Denise Wright As a teacher, consultant and artist in residence in the Liverpool community for more than 15 years, Denise uses a range of creative approaches to engage children across a variety of settings, including residential settings for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, mental health services and more recently working with very young children and their parents in different early years settings. As part of her PhD, Denise has been working closely with Tate Liverpool, liaising with organisations and supporting nursery practitioners, children and families. In this role Denise has supported the gallery to better understand the needs of young children and families visiting the gallery, particularly children and families from marginalised communities. Recently Denise has been commissioned by Tate to develop and lead the Tate Family Collective, a new initiative for engaging families. Denise also lectures in Early Years and Inclusive Education at

No abstract

No abstract