A few things were off for Mercer at the very start of school during first period today. 1) He still wasn't feeling well after being out sick. He was coughing and not covering his mouth. 2) He resisted virtually everything I introduced for today's class by just adamantly shaking his head and saying, "No." 3) He touched my computer without asking as he wanted to watch see something on YouTube and then he actually tore a piece of paper tucked into one of my textbooks. He was destroying a pencil, poking both ends of it into his upper thighs and scraping them against his desk 4) I bargained with Mercer - explaining that we would complete a certain task and then focus on something he wanted to do. I brought him out into a more open area for us to work (because he doesn't seem to be feeling well today). 5) We worked in an empty lunchroom where he proceeded to take plastic cutlery and break it against the table. I asked him to stop it was dangerous as when it broke it would fly like a projectory and possibly hurt one of us. He said, "What? Are you afraid it's going to hit you int the eye?" I reiterated that it could possibly hurt one of us. He was very disrespectful first thing this morning. I will be subbing this afternoon last period and will be with Mercer again. I can handle Mercer, but I wanted to convey this information to you and Pat. There are deep intense, attitudinal anger issues - an oppositional defiance - and these issues often put Mercer at risk as well as others around him.