LAKOTA, Ohio — Two Lakota teachers here will spend this Valentine’s Day at work in the same way they have for the last 34 years – working in the same school.
Unofficially dubbed the “Lakota Love Birds” by school officials, Susan and Scott Smith of Independence Elementary first learned their heartfelt lesson of love back in 1991, when the two then-rookie teachers met while working at the former Hopewell Elementary in West Chester Twp.
Among the thousands of Lakota teachers who have worked in the 18,000-student district in recent decades, none share Smith’s love-longevity work relationship, which includes a long marriage and two now grown children.
“Hopewell school was so large, and we taught on the opposite sides of the building,” recalled Susan. “But in November of 1991, we happened to be seated next to each other at the district’s teacher professional development day, and that is when we actually really met.”
“Scott asked my teaching partner if I was dating anyone … and asked my partner if she could get my phone number. And she said, ‘Oh yes, she’s single, and you should ask her out.’”
“And I was like, I don’t know if that is a good idea to date someone I work with, and my friend said, ‘he is such a good guy and should go out and see what happens,’” said Susan.
“And it worked out.”
That’s an understatement.
Susan’s bridal and baby showers were held in their old school, and their youngest child’s first steps were performed in one of Hopewell’s long hallways.
The two later transferred to Liberty Twp.’s Independence Elementary when Hopewell was converted into an early childhood center.
Susan, who is 55, teaches 4th grade math and science, and Scott, 60, teaches 6th grade science.
Fittingly, they plan to retire simultaneously at the end of this school year and cap off their romantic love story with a celebratory trip to the City of Love, Paris, France.
Susan said the most important part of having such a long love-work mix is “all the relationships we share. "
“We have shared relationships with a lot of school families because Scott will have some children from the same family that I have as students.”
“It’s all a lot of shared relationships that not a lot of married couples get to have,” she said.
Scott said, “Susan is the best teacher I’ve ever seen,” and confessed some martial thievery.
“So I got to take a lot of her ideas and change them to what would be manageable for me,” he said.
Their advice for other couples who work together starts with a simple rule: Do not talk shop over the dinner table.
“You can’t talk about school all the time,” said Scott.
Susan said, “Make sure you have balance. You have to share other interests and do other things together.”
Watch Live:
