When Oenone Crossley-Holland started teaching at an inner city school in London, she had no idea what to expect. She just knew that there was no going back. She would have one of the most challenging and overwhelming years of her life, in which she would get involved in the lives of some wonderfully - and sometimes horrifyingly - exuberant students, and find herself tested to the limit. In this colourful and moving account, Oenone tells of the lows and unexpected highs of the sharper end of teaching. Will she make it through the year? Will she make it through another day? HANDS UP! is for anyone who's ever worked in a school or thought about teaching. It also gives a very clear answer to those who still believe that those who can't, teach.