Experts say that the coronavirus pandemic has devastated humankind to a level no one had imagined. However, as there is a saying that “every cloud has a silver lining,” we can still learn the lesson that crisis can lead to opportunity.

I am so glad to share that my school took this difficult time as an opportunity for the school to grow in a very special way. That’s because my school community was open to changes and approached all the hurdles with an optimistic attitude.

The most difficult part my school was facing at the time of the coronavirus outbreak was making sure that our whole community kept to the new daily routine of wearing masks and proper social distancing, critical requirements during this pandemic.

The school found a solution from performing a few small changes rather than big ones, which might be difficult to carry on from the beginning. Small changes can lead to big results.

A “nudge” is a well-known behavioral economic and scientific concept that proposes positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions as ways to influence the behavior and decision-making of groups or individuals.

In order to tackle the coronavirus situation, the school adopted “nudges” that turned out to be a very wise choice.

For small children having more difficulty in wearing a mask, the elementary school art class initiated a pretty mask contest, making the masks more friendly looking and further developing a student attachment to their own handmade masks. Distributing masks with the school logo also helped students forge an emotional bond with the school. The graduation ceremony, when students wore masks printed with the school’s tiger symbol was the overall highlight.

Within the school, stickers were placed on the floors to direct the students, which eventually made them realize that social distancing was not so difficult. Hand sanitizer was placed throughout the entire school campus so that students and staff could easily clean their hands frequently.

One of the most recent nudges the school attempted was providing an incentive to those who submitted the orange pass that ensures proof of having a normal body temperature and no coronavirus symptoms. Every day the school provides a coffee coupon in a daily raffle among those who submitted the orange pass.

As well illustrated in previous successful cases, it is often more productive to induce action without strict orders or instructions. This is a takeaway our school has learned through this pandemic.

Accordingly, my school will continue to develop new nudges to encourage the school community to act more autonomously and make wise choices.

“The pessimist finds difficulty in every opportunity, and the optimist finds opportunity in every difficulty,” said Winston Churchill.

I don’t have any doubt that by the time the coronavirus disappears, our school community will have grown by a quantum leap.

By Yoon Sung-ji
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nurse Yoon Sung-ji, who has been with Seoul International School for over five years, recently won the Citation for COVID-19 Response award in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, for her outstanding efforts in the COVID-19 response at Seoul International School. -- Ed.