Last weekend, my teenage son Marcus looked over my shoulder while I was scrolling through my phone and said, "Mom, you have like a million apps. Do you even use half of these?"

Ay, dios mio. He was right.

I counted them. Sixty-two apps on my phone, and honestly? I use maybe five of them regularly. The rest were just digital clutter making me feel overwhelmed every time I opened my phone.

Sound familiar?

We teachers are notorious for downloading every "game-changing" app that promises to revolutionize our classrooms. I've been guilty of it for years. Remember when everyone was raving about that classroom management app that was supposed to replace our behavior charts? I downloaded it, used it twice, then went back to my trusty clipboard.

The Great App Purge of 2024

So I did something radical. I deleted everything except the apps I actually use on a daily basis. The ones that truly make my life easier, not harder.

The result? My phone feels lighter (okay, not literally, but you know what I mean). I'm not constantly distracted by red notification badges from apps I forgot I even had.

Here are the five apps that survived the purge, and more importantly, why they earned their spot on my home screen.

App #1: ClassDojo

I know, I know. ClassDojo has been around forever. But there's a reason it's still here while other apps have come and gone.

I use it primarily for parent communication, and it's been a lifesaver. When little Sofia had that breakthrough moment with long division last week, I could snap a quick photo and send it to her mom instantly. No waiting for conferences, no trying to remember to mention it in a phone call.

The translation feature is pure gold at our school. About 40% of my families speak Spanish at home, and being able to send messages that automatically translate has strengthened my relationships with parents who might otherwise feel left out.

Pro tip: Don't get caught up in the points system if it doesn't feel natural to you. I tried it my first year using the app and felt like I was constantly on my phone. Now I just use the communication features and the occasional photo sharing.

App #2: Timer+

This might seem boring, but hear me out. A good timer app is worth its weight in gold.

Timer+ lets me run multiple timers at once. I can have one going for my math centers (12 minutes), another for my bathroom break reminder (because we all know what happens when you forget to remind them), and a third for my own lunch break.

The visual countdown is perfect for my visual learners, and the different alert sounds help me keep track of what's ending when.

Real talk: I used to rely on the basic iPhone timer until the day I accidentally set it for 45 minutes instead of 4 minutes for a quick partner share. Nothing like realizing your students have been discussing their weekend plans for half your math block.

App #3: Google Drive

If you're not using cloud storage yet, mija, we need to talk.

Google Drive has saved me more times than I can count. Forgot my flash drive? No problem. Need to access that parent contact sheet from home? It's right there. Want to share resources with my grade level team? Done.

I keep everything organized in folders by subject and month. It took some time to set up initially, but now I can find any worksheet, lesson plan, or assessment in seconds.

The offline access feature came in clutch during Hurricane Ian when our internet was spotty but I still needed to prep for the week.

Getting started tip: Start small. Pick one subject and commit to going paperless with just that. I started with my reading assessments, and once I saw how much easier it made data tracking, I was hooked.

App #4: Remind

Email is where communication goes to die, especially with parents.

Remind cuts through the noise. When I need to tell families about early dismissal, remind them about picture day, or share a quick classroom update, I know they'll actually see it.

The scheduling feature is brilliant. I can type up my weekly newsletter on Sunday afternoon and schedule it to go out Monday morning when parents are actually thinking about the school week.

Plus, it keeps my personal phone number private while still allowing for real-time communication. Win-win.

Boundary setting: I learned the hard way to set "quiet hours" in the app. Getting parent messages at 10 PM about missing homework was not good for my sanity or my marriage. Carlos was not amused.

App #5: Spotify (Yes, Really)

Music transforms our classroom environment, and Spotify makes it effortless.

I have playlists for everything: morning work (upbeat but not distracting), math time (instrumental focus music), cleanup (energetic but short songs), and rainy day indoor recess (kid-friendly favorites that won't drive me crazy).

The offline download feature means I'm not panicking when our school WiFi decides to take an unscheduled break.

My students love when I ask for their input on our classroom playlist. It gives them ownership of our space and introduces me to music I'd never find otherwise. (Though I draw the line at anything with explicit lyrics, obviously.)

Teacher hack: Create a "transition" playlist with 2-minute songs. When the music stops, the transition should be complete. It's amazing how quickly kids learn to hustle when they have a musical cue.

What Didn't Make the Cut

Before you ask, yes, I deleted a lot of apps that other teachers swear by. That doesn't mean they're bad apps, they just didn't fit my teaching style or workflow.

I tried several gradebook apps but always ended up going back to my paper gradebook anyway. I downloaded three different lesson planning apps that promised to save me time but actually made planning feel more complicated.

The key is being honest about what you'll actually use consistently, not what you think you should use.

Making It Work for You

Your essential five might look completely different from mine, and that's perfectly okay. Maybe you're a Kahoot queen or you can't live without Flipgrid. The point isn't to copy my list exactly.

The point is to be intentional about your digital tools instead of just collecting them.

Try this: look at your phone right now. How many education apps do you have? When's the last time you used each one? If the answer is "I can't remember," it might be time for your own app purge.

The Bottom Line

Technology should make our lives easier, not more complicated. If an app isn't saving you time, reducing stress, or genuinely improving your teaching, why is it taking up space on your phone?

Start small. Pick your five must-haves and stick with them for a month. You might be surprised how freeing it feels to have fewer options but use them more effectively.

What are your non-negotiable apps? I'd love to hear what made your essential list. Sometimes the best teaching tools are the ones we actually use, not the ones that look prettiest in the app store.