By May, Nicole Correa was running on empty.
After four years as a second-grade special education teacher, she thought she had classroom management figured out. But first grade was different. Her students were younger, their emotions bigger, and their ability to cope with disappointment still developing.
One student - we’ll call him Taylor - struggled the most.
Taylor was bright, creative, and endlessly imaginative. During free choice time, he built elaborate Magna-Tile towers with intense focus and pride. But when something went wrong - even something small - his world seemed to collapse. A bumped tower, a mistake, or an unexpected change could quickly spiral into screaming, throwing materials, or running from the classroom.
And after nine long months of managing moments like these, Nicole could feel herself changing too. Her patience was thinning. Her exhaustion was growing. She cared deeply about her students, but she was burning out.
Then came Playmaker University.
Through the training, Nicole discovered a powerful truth: behavior is communication. Behind every outburst is a child trying to express a need, a fear, or an emotion they don’t yet know how to manage.
She learned practical, relationship-based tools grounded in empathy, emotional safety, and connection — including the Four R’s (Regulate, Recognize, Relate and Repair) - a framework that helps adults respond to challenging moments in ways that build trust instead of escalating conflict.
Not long after, Nicole had a chance to put that learning into practice.
One afternoon, another student cleaned up Taylor’s tower before he was ready. Within seconds, tiles were flying and Taylor was sobbing at his desk.
In the past, Nicole admits she might have reacted from frustration.
This time, she paused.
Instead of leading with correction, she led with connection.
“You worked really hard on that tower,” she told him calmly. “It makes sense that you feel upset.”
And in that moment, something shifted.
For perhaps the first time, Taylor felt understood instead of judged.
Nicole still held boundaries. Once Taylor calmed down, he helped clean up the tiles he had thrown, and the class talked together about respecting one another’s work. But this time, the meltdown didn’t consume the rest of the day. Taylor recovered faster. He regulated himself more successfully. He rejoined the group calmly and moved forward without the prolonged emotional spiral that had once defined these moments.
The breakthrough wasn’t just Taylor’s. It was Nicole’s, too.
“I felt proud that my response came from empathy and understanding instead of frustration and impatience,” Nicole shared. “What I learned at Playmaker University gave me practical tools to build stronger relationships and support students through difficult moments.”
And for Taylor, he experienced what children need most during hard moments: a loving, calming adult who can help them feel seen, understood, and capable of trying again.
This is the power of a Playmaker.
And because of Playmakers like Nicole, children like Taylor learn how to get back up and stand strong when they – or their towers – get’s knocked down.