Secondary English teacher Doug Goodale of Morristown recognizes that high school students learn best when they are actively engaged in the lesson. Goodale ascribes to the “student as worker” and teacher as “guide on the side” instructional approach. When teaching a unit on a play, novel, poem, or a literary period, Goodale often has his students act out scenes or chapters, debate the merits of the work and the author’s intent, or do group presentations on the work or the author. Doug Goodale of Morristown notes that when his students are studying a Shakespeare play, he has them act out different scenes so they can develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the different themes and subplots, the characters’ motivations, and the nuances of Elizabethan language.

Doug Goodale of Morristown is a firm believer in giving back and helping disadvantaged and immigrant students achieve both academically and personally. While teaching at the Delbarton School in Morristown, Goodale volunteered at the Neighborhood House, tutoring and advising young immigrants and newcomers with the goal of helping them transition successfully to the community and schools. The Morristown Neighborhood House was founded in 1898 and was originally a settlement house for Italian immigrants. As a supporter of Neighborhood House, Doug Goodale recognizes the important role it plays in promoting education, cross-cultural awareness, and community stability. Neighborhood House relies on the generosity of contributors and volunteers – people willing to make a sacrifice of time, energy, and/or finances. Doug Goodale recognizes that each contribution goes a long way towards ensuring a struggling child and/or family has access to a potentially life-changing program or service.

Doug Goodale of Morristown is an educator committed to supporting programs that help all students succeed academically. Goodale recognizes that there are many factors that cause the achievement gap between students from different racial or economic backgrounds and he has been committed to narrowing this gap throughout his teaching career. To ensure that his reached and challenged all of the students in his classes and met their learning needs, Doug Goodale completed a Master’s program for educators at Seton Hall University and also enrolled in graduate courses at Bard and Wesleyan Universities - all while teaching full-time. In addition to his advanced academic studies, Doug Goodale volunteered as a tutor at the Neighborhood House in Morristown and in the summer of 2013 Goodale taught English to fifth and sixth grade students in the SEEDS program. SEEDS (Scholars, Educators, Excellence, Dedication, Success) is a comprehensive educational program for students from low income families in the upper-elementary that is designed to provide them with the necessary academic background, skills, and habits to be accepted into private preparatory secondary schools in New Jersey. Through the dedication and commitment of teachers like Doug Goodale of Morristown, students in the SEEDS program have made great strides that they never believed possible and have been accepted to competitive schools like Delbarton.

Doug Goodale of Morristown is an educator who spends most of his time around young people. This is one reason why he is an active supporter of Covenant House. Doug Goodale recognizes that everyone is vulnerable and could fall through the social safety net at any time. Covenant House is a charitable foundation that has provided aid to homeless adolescents in major American cities for more than thirty years. Goodale of Morristown is part of the Covenant House support network and he raised nearly a thousand dollars for them in the May 2014 New York Five Borough bike tour. "This past year the agency provided assistance to 77,000 homeless in 21 cities across the US," he said. Goodale notes that “Covenant House is committed to protecting the rights of young people, and to fighting for their rights. The organization is dedicated to speaking for those who have no voice of their own.”

Doug Goodale of Morristown is an accomplished athlete, coach, and competitor. An outstanding wrestler and cross country runner in high school, Goodale won the Interscholastic League New England Wrestling Championship for his weight class, was named to the All-New England Cross Country Running team, and won the Boston Globe’s All-Scholastic Award in Wrestling in his senior year. In college, Goodale was a starter and Division I wrestler at Franklin and Marshall College. Doug Goodale’s passion for athletics did not end with his college career – he has coached at The Fay School in Massachusetts, the Canterbury School in Connecticut, and Delbarton School in New Jersey. From 2002 to 2014, Doug Goodale of Morristown coached wrestling, cross country, track, and rugby. All teams had winning records and a many won championships, including the Delbarton wrestling team winning its first county championship in 20 years. A number of the athletes on the teams won individual championships and went on to compete on Division 1 and Ivy League university teams.