More Than We Imagined:

Appreciative Inquiry for Early Childhood

and Everywhere That Matters

A strengths-based guide for early childhood educators, leaders, and caregivers ready to create joyful, resilient learning environments.

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**Use More Than We Imagined to:**

Reimagine What's Possible

Discover how joy, curiosity, and strengths-based reflection can transform early learning environments.

Lead with the Triple R Framework™

Build Relevance, Relationships, and Reflection into every moment of teaching and leadership.

Inspire Thriving Classrooms and Teams

Nurture both children and the adults who care for them.

About This Book

More Than We Imagined is a strengths-based guide for early childhood educators, leaders, and caregivers ready to create joyful, resilient learning environments. Rooted in Appreciative Inquiry, it introduces the Triple R Framework™ Relevance, Relationship, and Reflection to help shift from burnout to possibility. With practical tools and real-life stories, this book inspires growth mindset, emotional intelligence, and sustainable leadership in early education settings. A must-read for those seeking meaningful, lasting change in classrooms, programs, and communities.

About the Author

Ellen M. Drolette is a nationally recognized early childhood consultant, author, and speaker who has spent over three decades championing children, families, and educators. Her work is grounded in strengths-based leadership, reflective practice, and the principles of Appreciative Inquiry. Ellen’s unique approach blends real-world experience with research-informed tools that support resilience, emotional intelligence, and sustainable change in early learning environments.

She is the creator of the Triple R Framework™, Relevance, Relationship, and Reflection—and a longtime advocate for shifting early education away from burnout and toward possibility. Ellen’s writing and speaking engagements have inspired educators across the U.S. and internationally. In addition to her work as a consultant and mentor, she is the author of Overcoming Teacher Burnout in Early Childhood and the founder of Positive Spin VT. Ellen lives in Vermont and continues to support professional development that brings joy, purpose, and connection back to the heart of education.

What People Are Saying About More Than We Imagined

Alicia Barnatchez, Senior Director of Programs, Life is Good Playmaker Project:

"This book is such a beautiful contribution to the field. It takes Appreciative Inquiry out of theory and brings it to life — in classrooms, in teams, in policy, and in our everyday work with children and families. Each principle is broken down with such clarity and care, paired with thoughtful, practical ways to put it into action. What I love most is how it expands your way of seeing — it cracks something open, inviting you to see the totality of possibilities that emerge when we lead with curiosity, strength, and appreciation. Thank you, Ellen, for the powerful reminder that real change begins in how we choose to see what and who is before us."

Teacher Tom, Author and Educator:

"Ellen Drolette is a powerful voice in early childhood. The book you hold in your hand takes the basic psychological principle of "What we focus on grows" and expands it into a robust philosophy of working with children, one that will transform not just your teaching practice, but your life. Appreciative Inquiry is the kind of AI we can all get behind."