One teacher’s lesson in the power of saying, ‘I need help’

At a public elementary school in the town of Shingu, Fukuoka Prefecture, teacher Narumi Hiramatsu draws on her experience of living with hearing loss to teach children the importance of expressing their needs — and learning to help one another. You need to let them know,” Hiramatsu, 32, tells her students at Shingu Elementary School. Born with hearing loss, she once grew frustrated with people who, she felt, failed to understand her needs.

What changed her mindset was advice from a mentor: “You have to speak up for yourself.”