'We want to bring the community together': Edgewood mom creates outdoor classroom for neighborhood children
Jul. 11—One day last summer, while sitting in the car with her husband, Jasmin Field got an idea from watching neighborhood children play in a parking lot near their home in Edgewood.
The kids would make their way to the couple's porch when Field would bring her 5-year-old son outside for an activity. Field invited the children to participate in future activities, including playing with kinetic sand or painting. She realized that the kids were looking for something to do.
"They were just so hungry for learning about things sometimes, rather than riding their bikes," Field said.
That day, while out in the car, Field, 38, decided that she would conduct a nature-based learning program in her backyard. It was slightly difficult to plan at first, but little did she know, she was preparing for this opportunity all along.
A theater graduate with a plan
Before gravitating toward teaching kids, Field had prospects to become an actress.
Originally from Prince George's and Montgomery counties, Field left home to attend Michigan State University in 2003. At first, she was a communications major before realizing she wanted to major in theater after she sat in on stage rehearsals.
Field graduated in 2007 before moving to Washington, D.C. to act professionally at the Theater Alliance and other acting companies for four years. She was not a union actor, however, and her pay constantly changed. She picked up another job as a waitress, and additional job conducting activities for Alzheimer residents at Arbor Place Dementia Care in Rockville.
"I was like, well I'm going to keep acting and maybe do something else," Field said. "I was like, you know what? I'm in theater, maybe I should just think about teaching theater."
For a year, Field taught improv and scene study to middle school students at an after-school program in Rockville. She then moved to Baltimore after becoming engaged to her husband, Justin Field.
"I really liked the school setting," Field said. "I had to look for a new job, but I wanted it be in schools. I really started thinking more about literacy because I noticed that it was shameful for adults to admit when they don't know how to do things. It's acceptable when a child doesn't know, but when an adult doesn't know it's shameful. So I wondered what kind of jobs are in literacy."
In 2013, Field began working with Reading Partners, a national nonprofit of community volunteers who help students gain reading skills they need to reach their full potential. Reading Partners goes into schools for six months to a year to train educators and staff on how to lessen the gap between how far a child was behind in their reading and where they are supposed to be.
The first school she entered was Holabird Academy, a public elementary and middle school in Baltimore city. Field learned so much working with the kids, but again, the pay was low. She was freshly married, and wanted to help support her husband, who was teaching math in Baltimore County Public Schools before moving on to do the same at Harford Technical High School.
She then began working with preschoolers at the Discover Learning Center in Hunt Valley.
At first, Field worked with the communications department. She watched how teachers conducted their classrooms from afar until she was asked to step in for a teacher who went on vacation for two weeks.
"I absolutely loved it," she said. "I love that I was able to have a relationship with these budding minds that were so curious but also wanted to give you a hug and feel safe."
In 2015, Field left the Discover Learning Center, and began working at The Goddard School of Bel Air, a day care center. This school was bigger, and the children moved to different stations throughout the day. She started off working with 2-year-olds before moving up to 4-year-olds.
"I grew a lot at that school," Field said. "It was a very structured program, and I think I needed that in addition to what I learned at the smaller center."
The Goddard School was her last job in public schools before giving birth to her son in 2016 and moving the following year to Edgewood. Field decided to home school her child and future children, applying what she had been learning as a teacher.
Forest Schools
Field, alongside her husband, welcomed two more kids born in 2019 and 2021. While pregnant with her third child, she learned about forest schools.
Forest schools are long-term, child-centered learning processes that offer opportunities that support exploration and risk taking. Forest schools take place in a woodland or natural environment to support the development of a lifelong relationship between the learner and the natural world, according to the Forest School Association.
"I told my husband that this would be great for me to sharpen my skills as a teacher. I thought it was incredible," Field said. "I personally love being outside. When I would take my son outside, we'd collect something, eat, and it was great. But I wasn't thinking about all the different ways we can explore."
Field took an extensive course on forest schools at the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools. As she looked at the faces in her online class, she recognized that she was the only participating African American. She considered how people and communities play a role in the success of a forest school.
"I asked this incredible guest speaker, Dr. Rose Brusaferro, 'Would you say that enrollment is low for minorities because of cultural differences like hair and climate sensitivity?'" Field said. "She said, 'Absolutely.' I said 'Wow, it's interesting to hear you confirm that because wouldn't it be amazing if we could build a bridge between these things.' That's kind of like what she's been doing."
Together, Field, her family, and Brusaferro, acting director of the Nature Preschool at Nature Forward visited the first Baltimore City outdoor preschool. Field loved it.
"I was like, this is possible," Field said," and I think it kind of stuck in my mind."
As a home schooling parent, Field makes learning packs for families who are new to home schooling. Now she adds nature learning packs for families who are interested in nature-based learning.
Edgewood Outdoor Classroom
Once Field realized that the neighborhood children were interested in the outdoor learning activities she would do with her son, she and her husband started to prepare the backyard for the neighborhood's new outdoor classroom.
She created a schedule of activities, lessons plans, bought supplies from the Dollar Tree store, and visited parks to collect rocks, twigs, sticks, and leaves.
"When you live in an urban environment, you have what's in your backyard," Field said.
The children learned about rocks, painted branches, drew pictures of animals, and learned about different wildlife that they can find around the Chesapeake Bay.
As a home schooling mother, Field isn't required to hold a license, although she is certified to teach through the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools.
"We tie everything together at the end when we talk about creation," Field said. "This week, the focus is on water; why we need it; different bodies of water; what's the difference between an ocean and the sea; and what fruit has water in them, and that relates to food science. At the end, we are going to read a story that has to do with water, that's understandable for them. So we are going to read Noah's Ark."
By the end of the summer of 2022, Field's neighbors were already asking if she will have the classroom next summer.
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"My daughter absolutely love it," said neighbor and parent Robyn Morris. "She loves playing with the other kids and drawing stuff. They had this activity where they had to draw a squirrel. She [Field] does fun activities while they are learning. This was the first time I've ever seen something like this."
Nikki Stone, another neighbor, says her children adore everything Field does.
"She does a lot for the kids," Stone said. "Every day, they come in here and tell me about nature stuff, and she teaches them about the Bible. They just adore it all."
This summer, Field is opening up the outdoor classroom to any interested child.
The Edgewood Outdoor Neighborhood Classroom is July 12-14 and July 19-21 at 3 to 5:30 p.m. for children ages 3 to 8 who live in Edgewood. Children from surrounding cities are welcomed July 13 and July 20 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. To preregister, contact ahintofjasminevents@gmail.com.
