Entering Justin Scarbro’s social studies classroom often feels like walking into a party, with cheerful background music and the enthusiastic hum of students talking about current events or important moments in history. Scarbro uses his vast knowledge of effective instructional practices to engage all his students at Walter Hines Page High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, in critical thinking and discourse. Students take on roles as members of the Constitutional Convention during civics class and create their own campaign ads when studying the role of media in politics in AP Government. Scarbro uses classroom data to help every student grow and succeed, believing that each pupil has the ability to achieve at a high level with the right supports. He maintains high standards in the classroom and works alongside his students not as an expert or authority figure, but as a guide and facilitator. Scarbro gets to know his students beyond academics, using the relationships he builds to cultivate a learning experience that motivates them and pays dividends in their learning successes.
Scarbro has represented Guilford County Schools in high-profile opportunities both at home and abroad. In the fall of 2020, he participated in an online roundtable with now-First Lady Dr. Jill Biden about virtual instruction and the future of education. Scarbro traveled to Peru and Chicago with Deliberating in a Democracy to promote the teaching and learning of democratic principles and civic deliberation in the U.S. and Latin America. He worked on Building Bridges, a districtwide history program financed through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Scarbro facilitates the social studies department’s professional learning community, delivered professional development for the district on financial literacy and sits on the Equal Opportunity Schools team, focused on decreasing educational barriers for students of color and creating a culturally relevant and inclusive environment for all students.
Scarbro is a fixture in his school and local community. During the pandemic he brought a constant stream of positivity and support to colleagues, always going out of his way to help navigate the shifts to virtual instruction. Scarbro has coached baseball and basketball at Page High, serves as an associate athletic director, sponsors student government, and advises International Baccalaureate students on their extended essay capstone projects. Forging lasting relationships not only with students but their families, he creates an environment in which parents are valued stakeholders in the process of educating their children.
Scarbro earned a bachelor’s in secondary education in 2006 from Ohio University.
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