All About Dr. Allen!

This past week, I had the privilege of interviewing the newest arrival to North Shore Hebrew Academy’s History Department, Dr. Allen. Although it is her first year teaching at North Shore Hebrew Academy, she has already made a positive impact on the tenth and eleventh grades as the AP European History and AP American History teacher. How has Dr. Allen gained such admiration in so little time?! It’s simple: her genuine love and passion for teaching. Her students can tell you that they feel Dr. Allen’s excitement for history radiate throughout the classroom, invigorating those who would otherwise use the period for a (much-needed) nap time. Dr. Allen’s favorite part of teaching is “seeing the genuine excitement on students' faces when they finally understand a concept.” She loves contributing to students’ successes and her greatest joy is bearing witness to that “aha” moment on her students’ faces when something just clicks.

Dr. Allen always knew that she wanted to be a teacher. “There’s nothing better than a job that always allows you to teach and learn,” she says. Armed with a political science doctorate and a love for teaching, she set out to educate students on historical and political concepts. Before coming to teach at North Shore, Dr. Allen spent ten years teaching various courses in American politics at Queens College. When asked her favorite thing about North Shore, she said the school spirit, supportive faculty, and hard-working students. She particularly loved the Chanukah Chagiga and said it was “beautiful to see everyone dancing together in such a unified way.”

Because of her love for legislation, Dr. Allen also volunteered to run North Shore’s Model Congress team. Under her guidance, almost all of the students’ bills passed at last month’s online Yale Model Congress event. Dr. Allen loves to cook, and she especially enjoys the smell of whatever she’s cooking wafting through the house while she’s grading papers. Even more than eating her own cooking, she loves seeing people eat and enjoy her food; a family favorite is her pot roast and brisket. She is also a huge fan of Broadway musicals, especially Hamilton, and absolutely loves the fact that she lives close enough to the city to attend Broadway shows whenever she wants. Another love of Dr. Allen’s is historical documentaries. She recommends “American Experience,” a documentary about the shaping of our country that you can watch on Amazon Prime Video. Dr. Allen is simply the best!