10.      Confiscations – Some items at your school are not to be in plain sight, and it is expected that you confiscate the items if you see them.  Examples of items that are not to be seen at school are cell phones, iPods/MP3 players, hats, bandanas, and rosary beads.  If you confiscate a student’s property, LOCK IT UP in a cabinet or drawer immediately (after putting a label on it with the student’s name and date of confiscation).  If you do not have a locking drawer or cabinet, give it to an administrator ASAP.  There have been many cases where a teacher has been found liable for confiscating a student’s property, then losing it.  It stinks, but you would have to buy the student a new MP3 player if you lost theirs.  Also, resist the temptation to look through a student’s phone after you confiscate it.  The courts have found that what is contained in a student’s cell phone is none of your business.  If a student discovers that you went through their phone, they may have their parents pay you a visit.  When I confiscate an electronic device, I ask the student to turn it off.  Some students will even remove the battery or SIM card, and that’s O.K. with me.  The inconvenience of having their parents come to the school to pick up the confiscated item should be punishment enough.  Don’t inflame the situation by trying to get cute.