Sometimes you meet your soulmate in high school, however that doesn’t mean you are still necessarily enrolled in high school. This was the case for, Doug Goodman and Janet Goodman, teachers who met when they started working at Pascack Hills.

As both teachers explained, they had been around each other their entire life, but a series of missed connections kept them from meeting each other. It wasn’t until Pascack Hills that they were brought together.

Was this relationship meant to be?

Ironically, the two teachers “went to the same middle school, high school, college, and was assigned the same town to teach in”, Mrs. Goodman said. “Our parents live half a mile apart. But, we never met until Pascack Hills.”

Mr. Goodman used to coach basketball with Mr. Jasper, who teaches and coaches at Pascack Valley. Around the same time, Mrs. Goodman worked with Jasper’s wife. Mrs. Jasper was the one who introduced them to each other

“Mrs. Jasper and I were teaching a class together and we met up in the summer to talk about geometry and Coach Jasper came in the coaching staff of a summer league game at the Iron Horse. That was the first time I met Mr. Goodman, ” Mrs.Goodman said.

Another coincidence, the Goodmans both credited their inspiration for becoming a teacher to the same teacher, Mr. Goodyear.

“I had a great Physics teacher named Mr. Goodyear. Some of the kids might know that his wife was an art teacher. He made me very interested in teaching” Mr. Goodman said.

When asked the same question, Mrs. Goodman responded, “Mr. Goodyear. The one and only.”

Talking about which students are dating is typical in a high school, but how did kids react when they find out teachers are dating?

“When we first started dating, and the students found out, we were entertaining, but now we are like the old married couple, ” Mrs. Goodman said.

Students supporting their relationship is funny in the eyes of Mrs. Goodman. She laughed before she was able to speak.

“I had a student who once warned me that Mrs. McDonald was after Mr. Goodman. The kids look after me.” Mrs. Goodman said.

Ms. McDonald married her own, Mr. McDonald, becoming Mrs. McDonald, and now the two couples hang out together outside of school hours. They frequently see Seton Hall basketball games, host game nights, and eat dinner together.

Mrs. and Mrs. Goodman are often asked if they are annoyed by the fact that they work together.

“It is very convenient working together. The car broke down the other day, and I still got to work on time” Mrs. Goodman says.

Mr. Goodman had a similar take on their work life.

“Because we teach different subjects and we are off different periods of the day, it is not like we are working together in the same office, in the same room, and in each other’s way constantly. When I pick up my lunch or at the beginning or the end of the day, it is nothing but good.”

Among their similarities is there common aspiration to become teachers.

“I have always known I liked school and wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be an astronaut for a while, but then I realized I could not be over 6 ft tall to go on the space shuttle” Mr. Goodman jokes.

When asked about the best part of teacher, the couple’s response was also the same: the students.

“Of course the students are annoying sometimes, however, I do not mind it because it is part of the territory. Overall, most of the kids are great, and I like the relationships I have with kids. I get to joke around a lot and know what is going on in the world” Mr. Goodman says.

Mrs. Goodman echoed her husband’s sentiments.

“The number of people that you get to meet is incredible. Most other jobs you don’t get to know over 100 other people each year. Teaching you get to get to know them pretty well. I think it is a good opportunity to meet people and know their personality and point of views on things and hear their sense of humor.”

When asked about what he liked most about his wife, Mr. Goodman smiled.

“There is so much about my wife that I love. I do not think I can limit my favorite thing about her to one thing.”

Mrs. Goodman said she loved her husband’s humor, saying “he is so funny.”

So if you don’t graduate with a high school sweetheart, don’t worry. You might have just missed them in the hallway.