Welcome to the Teaching & Learning Page!

The graphic above depicts how all of the work in Dover-Sherborn Public Schools fits together in order to create our vision of teaching and learning.  The puzzle pieces represent the district’s major initiatives and partnerships while the words on the outside, define the qualities of a high quality curriculum.  These 11 components were built into the district’s curriculum audit work which began in the fall of 2022 and will continue into next school year.  

• High Expectations: All students are held to high academic standards and provided with multiple means of engagement to stimulate interest and motivation for learning. 

• Higher order thinking: Multiple avenues for students to engage in higher order thinking and opportunities for students to learn/practice these thinking skills 

• Critical thinking: Critical thinking skills enable students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from various sources. It provokes critical questions about the societal status quo by presenting alternative points of view.  Students reflect upon the reasons why multiple points of view are important. 

• Student engagement: Incorporates real-life connections and representations from various cultures and life experiences in order to stimulate student interest and motivation for learning. 

• Student voice: Opportunities for student-driven inquiry and for students to work together to share their learning experiences, strengths, backgrounds, interests, and needs with the teacher and each other. 

• Student expression/choice: Students have multiple ways to represent information, content and skills. 

• Representation: Students have a variety of resources (texts, photos, scenarios, names) that affirm students’ identities (mirrors) and expose them to experiences other than their own (windows). 

• Asset-based perspective: Individuals and groups are represented through their strengths, talents, and knowledge, rather than their flows, deficiencies or ways they have been harmed.  Attention is paid to minimizing possible labels, assumptions, stereotypes, and microaggressions. 

• Equitable access points: Students from all identities as well as learning abilities/styles have the knowledge and resources to readily participate in all learning experiences. 

• Agency & action: Students have avenues to connect learning to social, political, economic, cultural, environmental, etc. concerns that affect them and their lives and enact change. 

• Social-emotional well-being: Educators are aware of content that may be considered inflammatory, controversial, demeaning, offensive, or emotionally charged for any/all students.  Note: this does not mean it is not included, but proper warning is given to students.