Do you have to be the person other people decided you are?

Other people's labels can stick – the quiet one, the shy one, the one who's not strong enough. In this activity you'll hear from someone who was underestimated at school and found that the thing people saw as a weakness became her greatest strength.

This activity is designed to be flexible and can be used as follows:

  • During a lesson - 30 minutes. Students work in pairs and then share their reflections with the rest of the class.
  • During tutor time - 20 minutes. Students watch the video independently and then discuss one of the topics together.
  • As homework - Students watch the video on their own and complete the reflection at their own pace.

This activity supports the following frameworks:

  • Gatsby Benchmark 5
  • PSHE Association KS3 codes H1, L10
  • PSHE Association KS4 codes L5

1. Before you start

Take a moment to think about the following question:

  • Has anyone ever described you in a way that felt limiting - "the quiet one," "the sporty one," "the one who's not good at..."? Did you agree with them?

If you're working with a partner or team, share and compare your thoughts before continuing.

2. Watch the video

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Daisy Hughes - Stunt Woman

Daisy is a stunt woman who works on major film and TV productions at studios like Pinewood and Warner Brothers. At school she was labelled "the petite, slight, weak one." She first heard about stunt work at 20 and thought it was impossible for her - but she kept coming back to the idea, and it took over six years of training to qualify.

While watching the video, listen for the following:

  • What did Daisy have to do to get herself ready for stunt training - before the training even started?
  • What does Daisy say about the labels people get given at school?

3. Reflect and discuss

First, add a personal reflection based on the following:

  • What is one thing from Daisy's story that made you think differently about what you're capable of?

Next, think about the following and discuss with your partner or group:

  • Daisy says at school you can get put into "an umbrella of what kind of person you are" - and that it's not always helpful when you leave. Have you noticed that happening? Why do you think people label each other, and what effect can it have?
  • Daisy first looked at the requirements for stunt work and thought "it's impossible for me to do." She kept coming back to the idea every six months for six years before she started training. What do you think kept bringing her back? What's the difference between "I can't do this" and "I can't do this yet"?
  • Daisy is dyslexic and says she learned at school that she couldn't revise sitting at a table - she needed to go for a walk to take things in. She says understanding how her brain works differently helps her every day on set. Do you know how you learn best? How did you figure that out?