Accountability for academic work is maintained through regular reviews of academic progress. If a student is not challenging himself or failing to complete assignments, these conferences provide a time to discuss the barriers to achieving his goals and what can be done to correct the problem. The afternoon at the school of the woods begins with time for personal reflection, where students may quietly relax, write in their journals or draw. In her research, Dr. Coe found that setting aside this time responded to the psychological needs of identity and the physical needs of rapidly growing bodies. The Montessori Middle School curriculum is based on a thematic approach that integrates the subjects.
Themes are broad based and are carefully chosen to reflect issues important ot early adolescents.
During this cycle, the theme is power, including the science of energy, political power, and personal power. Under this theme the curricula encompasses science projects on wind energy, writing plays about economic systems, and literature discussions on a Town Called Rosewood that tells the story of a successful African American community in Florida in 1920 that was almost wiped out and burned to the ground by white racists. . Thematic teaching and the integration of the curricula, give students many opportunities to see the natural connections between the subjects. At the School of the Woods, each thematic cycle lasts about five weeks and culminates in a land lab experience. Montessori philosophy stresses the need for students to work outdoors, learning about earth science and agriculture first hand.