Nikki shook her head at the things she needed to take into her classroom, how was she going to do the 6-8 trips she needed to make with Tyler.
"Need a hand," Meghan offered.
"You still can't lift," Nikki said, "you're just here for company."
"Ty doesn't count," Meghan replied.
"No I get to take him in and show off," Nikki replied, "I know it's not as flashy as what you, Nathan, Owen and Teddy do but I like it here."
Nikki led the way into the school pushing the stroller.
"Nicole," a pleasant looking woman in her mid fifties called.
"Catherine," Nikki responded, "it's good to see you."
"Back to set up," Catherine asked.
"I am," Nikki replied, "and I brought help. This is my sister Meghan and my son Tyler. Meghan, this is my principal Catherine."
"It's nice to meet you," Meghan said shaking the woman's hand.
"Nicole," Catherine said, "may I see your son? You never brought him to visit in the spring."
"We got busy," Nikki smiled. "He's awake right now if you want to visit."
The principal bent over the stroller and smiled at the little boy.
"He's beautiful," Catherine said.
"Thank you," Nikki smiled, "he's great."
"I have your schedule, can you come look and see if we need to make any adjustments," Catherine said.
"Can I show Meghan my room first," Nikki asked.
"Go," Catherine said, "the math department missed you and your enthusiasm."
"I just give things silly names," Nikki said.
"Go see your room " Catherine said, "I need to talk to you about it when we discuss your schedule."
Nikki led Meghan to the math wing and unlocked her classroom.
"I've got work to do," Nikki said looking around.
"What has to happen," Meghan asked.
"Desks back to pods, team signs back up, my mathematician posters on the back wall," Nikki said, "they emptied my walls but why? Where's my word wall?"
A tall black man knocked on the door frame, "Miss Nikki McRae your back."
"Brett Wilson," Nikki smiled, "how are you?"
"I'm good," Brett said, "how's Tyler?"
"Good," Nikki said, "he's here."
"Can I meet him," Brett asked.
"You can," Nikki replied, "and this is my older sister Meghan. "
"It's nice to meet you Ms McRae," Brett said offering his hand to Meghan.
"Dr Hunt but call me Meghan," Meghan replied.
"Meg, Brett is the other sixth grade math teacher," Nikki introduced, "we're both working on our MEds in math education together."
"Did you look at that Piaget stuff," Brett asked.
"It's basic constructivism we do that," Nikki replied, "the Vogotsky was review as well. I was impressed with the Fullerton resources."
"The Vanderwall was good," Brett countered.
"Theoretical," Nikki agreed, "sound base but I was looking for hands on. I like the Burns, Small or Fullerton stuff I want to do more with manipulatives this year. We got that grant for them and I never used my set."
"I have them in my cupboard," Brett said.
They continued their discussion and debate of mathematical concepts and the theorists and educators whose ideas they wanted to use in the upcoming school year with each of them teaching 5 periods of sixth grade math each day.
"What happened to my room," Nikki asked, "why is it a boring white box?"
"The sub was wanting to take things so I went in one weekend with Catherine and we took it all down," Brett said, "it's in her office."
"I should get it," Nikki agreed.
"I'll help after I see your son," Brett said.
Nikki took Tyler from Meghan. Meghan had been showing Tyler things out the window and listening to Nikki's animated if rather academic conversation.
"Brett this is Tyler Owen McRae," Nikki introduced, "we call him Ty."
"We," Brett asked.
"My mom, siblings and I," Nikki said, "it's just Ty and I. My mom and Meg are going to babysit when I come back next week."
"You're ready to come back," Brett asked.
"To work yes to see the kids and our team," Nikki said, "not to leave Ty."
"May I hold him," Brett asked.
"He may be shy at first," Nikki said, "the only guy he's used to seeing is my brother. He likes uncle Owen though."
"Nathan," Meghan said.
"Yes, he's okay with uncle Nathan," Nikki agreed, "but we just see more of Owen."
Nikki passed Tyler to Brett.
"Nice onesie little dude," Brett smiled.
"He just grew into it," Nikki smiled.
"I thought people would get you a lot of the really tiny stuff," Brett said.
"Some of the math collection finally fits for back to school," Nikki smiled, "where did you find them?"
"Think geek," Brett replied, "you're the only other person who appreciates my math puns so when they came baby sized."
"I had to explain math puns to my siblings," Nikki laughed, "they make me laugh though. I love them, thank you."
"How are your nieces," Brett asked.
"Good," Nikki replied, "and two nephews now. Meghan's son is going into 3rd at Medowcrest then Daniel is six weeks older than Ty."
"Medowcrest," Brett said, "so we'll get him."
"You will," Nikki said, "like my nieces. I don't teach them it's too close. You can teach my nieces and nephews . I have to retain my worlds coolest aunt somehow being their math teacher ruins that."
"Should we get your stuff from Catherine," Brett offered, "can you carry the big things?"
"No restrictions now," Nikki said, "Meg just had major surgery so she's going to hold Ty while we go."
Meghan smiled; she didn't know if Nikki wasn't trying to flirt with Brett, he was obviously very interested in her and Tyler. Meghan noticed the way the man looked at Nikki and thought he liked her.
"I'll bring your bins over from my room and I have the key to your cupboards and filing cabinet. You put too much time, effort and money into your room for someone to destroy that. I'm set up," Brett said, "I can help."
"I'd really appreciate that," Nikki smiled.
"I'll go get your bins and keys," Brett said, "why don't you get your son set up."
Brett walked out of the room.
"Flirting missy," Meghan whispered.
"I'm not," Nikki said, "he's just a friend who really helped me out last year."
"He's into you," Meghan observed.
"Friend," Nikki said, "I'm not ready to date Meg. I'm still figuring out me and Ty how we're going to make this work and my masters."
"He's doing his masters with you," Meghan pointed out, "it'll be months before I can work. I don't mind watching Ty longer so you can study with Brett."
Nikki walked towards the office with Brett.
"You look happier than when you left," Brett commented.
"I'm good," Nikki said, "things are calming down now that I have Ty in a routine."
"What about his dad," Brett asked.
"We've seen him once for about 45 minutes in June," Nikki said, "it was the first time I've seen Jeff since we broke up. He's choosing not to be in our lives. I'm good, we're good. Lots of family time. Meghan was away for 10 years and is finally home so we've spent tons of time catching up."
"Is this the sister you and the two vets talk about at Veterans Day," Brett asked.
"I didn't think anyone was listening to us," Nikki said, "Owen is Meg and my brother. Teddy is my sister in law. It's Meg that we were talking about. You know Megs fiancé as well. Nathan Riggs was in Kenya with us."
"I always listen," Brett said, "do you want to do coffee before school starts?"
"I need to make sure I have a babysitter," Nikki replied, "I'd like to grab coffee, maybe talk about the first quarter and get going on planning."
"Not to work Nikki," Brett said., "as friends."
"I can do friends," Nikki smiled.
"Bring Tyler," Brett said.
"He's just so little," Nikki said.
"He's how old," Brett asked.
"Four months," Nikki smiled, "he's growing fast."
"Nikki I want to hang out with you away from here and talk about things that aren't teaching or math," Brett said, "I know you have a lot going on and I can be your friend and just hang out. Let's just try hanging out away from school. Or it could be something more whatever you want it to be. I just want to spend time with you."
"Are you asking me on a date," Nikki asked.
"If you want it to be," Brett said.
"I'd like to get to know you outside of school but it has to be slow. I'm on my own with my son," Nikki said, "and I don't want people fliting in and out of his life. I have to protect Tyler. "
"I know you do. Tyler has to come first, " Brett said, "I understand Nikki. Let me know when you can get a babysitter and we'll have coffee."
"I'll do that," Nikki smiled.
They picked up the things from Nikkis classroom that were stashed in the principal's office.
"I'm going to get the ladder," Brett said when they got back to Nikkis room.
Once he was out of earshot Nikk said, "Brett asked me for coffee."
"What did you say," Meghan asked.
"I agreed to go as friends. I'm not ready to date but a friend would be good," Nikki said, "can you babysit?"
"I will," Meghan replied, "go live. Your 25. It's okay. You've been single a year."
"Do you want to look at the scope and sequence for the year first," Brett asked coming in with the ladder
"I want to move things around," Nikki replied, "we have permission to ditch the textbook so we're not locked into that order."
"What do you want to move," Brett asked.
"I want to move number sense to the first thing we do," Nikki said, "patterning can be a good preview of algebra and algebraic functions. Move number sense up to September and start with it. It lets us do operations with whole numbers before Christmas. Come back after Christmas to fractions and fraction operations. Then move to decimals and percentages followed by patterns and single variable algebra. Give the kids all the skills to be able to use in algebra. Work geometry and graphing in near breaks."
"It works with the Small and Vandewall," Brett acknowledged, "but the school wants to see UDL, RTI and Backwards design."
"We do udl and rti as it is," Nikki said, "our backwards design could use some refining. UDL is basic good teaching and knowing our kids. Do we have the IEPs and 504s?"
"Not yet," Brett replied.
"We should get them. Hard to do UDL and RTI if we don't know the needs," Nikki commented.
Meghan texted Owen.
Meghan, "can't tell if squirt is flirting or talking about work."
Owen, "what's going on? Is it the math teacher next door?"
Meghan, "another teacher, his name is Brett tall balck man. Lots of acronyms I don't understand. But he asked her for coffee and I'm Babysitting."
Owen, "they were good friends last year and did their teacher training year together. I've met him a few times and he seems nice enough. Helped me move her stuff out of her room and load her car after the school baby shower."
Meghan, "I think he's into her."
Owen, "I saw that last year. He wanted to take her to dinner days before her due date."
Meghan, "she's agreed to coffee as friends and not taking Tyler. She's telling me she's not ready to date. He was really excited to see Ty. She let Brett hold Ty. It was Brett that picked out the math themed onesies."
Owen, "I think he's probably a good guy. He's going to respect her. When I was at the school right before she was off Brett had a kid out in the hall lecturing him about respecting women."