He is exceptionally knowledgeable and willing to help any of our athletes. He and Mr. Schindler provide supervised weight room access to students at seminar as well which is a great service to our students, whether they participate in sports or not”

Nick Mahr, Stanley Boyd Athletic Director

The teachers I work with are some of the most selfless people I know. Teachers academically, socially, and emotionally support hundreds of students each day. They take pride in setting positive examples for the kids they work with in school and outside of school.”

Robert Allen

Robert Allen was destined to be an educator. Growing up both of Robert’s parents were teachers at Stanley-Boyd School where Robert, a Stanley-Boyd alumni, graduated in 2007. Beginning in 1979, his father Jerry taught for thirty-three years and his mother, Terri, taught for twenty-three years. “I was lucky enough to work with my mom for several years,” Robert comments.
Even though he had such strong role models to look up to, Robert wasn’t sure that he wanted to have a career in education. “I did not always know that I wanted to enter the profession. It wasn’t until after I graduated that I decided to become a teacher. I was asked to sub in a nearby district and enjoyed the experience,” he says. “If I wasn’t a teacher, I would do something involving physiology and human performance.”
Robert graduated from Carrol University with a bachelor’s degree in Earth Science and Sports Nutrition, in addition to receiving his teaching certificate through Lakeland University.
As a Stanley-Boyd graduate, Robert was excited for the opportunity to bring his skills and expertise back to the Stanley area. He had many positive memories and experiences that helped shape who he was. “When I had the chance to return to the community, I had to take full advantage of the opportunity,” he shares explaining that he and his wife decided to move back to Stanley from Milwaukee. In 2015 Robert began teaching special education at Stanley-Boyd High School. “I work with a wide variety of students with various learning disabilities and/or challenges providing them with skills to be successful in school.” He shares that he enjoys watching the development, growth, and change of the students that he works with and mentions that his students teach him just as much as he teaches them. He adds that they know when a teacher has their best in mind. “Authenticity is the most important trait. Kids can see through fake actions; they know if you care and are invested.”
Together, Robert and his wife, Amber are raising four daughters in the Stanley community: Avery, Ayla, Alayna, and Arley. Robert is especially excited that this school year, he gets to bring his two oldest daughters to school with him. Becoming a father has influenced Robert’s teaching style and caused him to rethink his priorities.
He explains, “As my children get older, I find that I am more absolute and direct with students and my family. Task prioritization and productivity are more important in my life than ever.” He adds that educators care strongly about their students and many struggle with separating work life from home life.
“The hardest challenge as a teacher is trying to leave the psychological stresses at my job.” He continues, “Teaching can be very draining during the day, and it is important that I give my own children as much time, energy, and patience that they deserve.”
Like most devoted teachers, Robert doesn’t have much free time but when he finds it, he enjoys “cheesy 80s action movies” and his favorite TV show is The Office. Robert’s music of choice is 90’s grunge/rock.
In addition to his family ties to education, the coaches and teachers Robert had in his own school career inspired him to follow in their footsteps. When asked which teachers were influential in his life, Robert replies that he has had several and he can’t choose just one. “I believe the teachers that I had as coaches had the most significant impact on my life. The teachers and coaches expected and demanded maximal effort and dedication in the classroom or on the field or court. I learned that challenges were not barriers, merely obstacles to overcome.” He adds, “In fact, I have the pleasure of working with several of them now.” Robert is proud of his coworkers and grateful for the support they give to each other. “The teachers I work with are some of the most selfless people I know. Teachers academically, socially, and emotionally support hundreds of students each day. They take pride in setting positive examples for the kids they work with in school and outside of school,” he says.
Robert’s love of sports and dedication to student development make him the perfect fit for students and athletes at Stanley-Boyd. In high school, he played basketball, golf, and football which he also continued to play in college. Robert is a loyal fan of all Wisconsin sports teams, including the Brewers, Bucks, and Packers. As a baseball, basketball, and football coach for the last eight years, he has spent countless hours providing strength training programming for many athletes at Stanley-Boyd thus enhancing their sports careers.
He explains, “My community is important to me. I take pride in providing as many services for the students of Stanley-Boyd as possible including coaching, strength and conditioning, and injury rehabilitation.”
Nicholas Mahr, Stanley-Boyd Athletic Director, says that Robert is a great asset to all of Stanley-Boyd School’s sports programs. “He is exceptionally knowledgeable and willing to help any of our athletes. He and Mr. Schindler provide supervised weight room access to students at seminar as well which is a great service to our students, whether they participate in sports or not,” Mahr replies.
Robert hopes that parents know the lengths that teachers go through to help their students succeed. He mentions that every year is different and presents unique challenges and opportunities. He says, “Education is a challenging profession. We spend countless hours learning a researching new and/or more effective ways of communicating material in the most enjoyable and engaging way possible. Oftentimes, our job is to have students do things that they don’t want to do to the best of their ability.”
The Stanley-Boyd High School is fortunate to have such a caring, committed teacher influencing the lives of their students and athletes.