5 Apps That Every Teacher Should Have on Their Phone

Here are the five apps I use every single day to stay on top of everything.

1. Todoist

I use Todoist every single day. It has a very intuitive user interface, very easy to use.

Usually the night before, I list down everything that I'm supposed to do the next day. And then even during the day, if I come across a task and I feel like, oh, I should just note it down, I can quickly take out my phone and note things down. This way I don't have to worry about forgetting something.

What Makes It Work

Different lists for different parts of your life. I have one for work tasks, another for groceries, another for books I want to read, even one called "Flix to watch" for when someone mentions a show I don't want to forget. It sounds excessive, but trust me—when you hear about a great book in the staffroom and you can immediately add it to a list, you'll actually remember to read it.

The widget on my home screen means I'm looking at my tasks throughout the day without having to open the app. Can't tell you how many times this has saved me from forgetting something.

Priority levels and reminders for when certain things absolutely need to happen at specific times.

The interface just makes sense. I don't have to think about how to use it, which matters when you've got 30 other things competing for your attention.

2. Apple Notes (or Google Keep): Your External Hard Drive for Random Thoughts

This is different from Todoist. This isn't for tasks—it's for ideas, observations, things you want to remember.

I use Apple Notes because I have an iPhone, but Google Keep does the exact same thing if you're on Android.

Here's when I use it: I'm walking to my car after school and I think of a better way to explain photosynthesis. I'm watching TV and I have an idea for next term's project. A colleague is telling me about a teaching strategy they use and I want to remember the details.

I just open the app and write it down. That's it.

The thing is, our brains are terrible at storing information. They're much better at processing and connecting information. So instead of trying to remember that random idea, I capture it immediately. Then later—maybe that evening, maybe on the weekend—I can actually do something with it.

3. Readwise or Instapaper: For When You Don't Have Time Right Now

You know how you're scrolling through Twitter or checking your email, and you see an article that looks genuinely useful, but you're about to start a lesson? Or you're reading something at home, and you think, "I should remember this."

That's what Readwise is for.

Instapaper works too—they're pretty similar, though Readwise has a few extra features that I like.

The one-click save: Download the Chrome extension, and you can save any article with a single click. I do this probably 3-4 times a week with education research, teaching strategies, and articles about topics I'm teaching.

The highlighting feature: You can highlight text as you read online. Just drag your cursor over the text, and it saves the highlight with the article. When you open that article again, your highlights are there.

But here's the part that's actually made a difference for me: Readwise emails me five random highlights every day. Just five. It takes maybe 2 minutes to read them. And it's stuff I've highlighted before—so I'm constantly reviewing ideas and information I found valuable instead of reading them once and forgetting them completely.

It's like spaced repetition for everything you read online. I catch myself thinking "oh yeah, that's right" at least once a week with these daily highlights.

4. Podcasts: Information You Can Consume While Doing Literally Anything Else

I don't sit down and read education journals as often as I probably should. But I do listen to podcasts while I'm walking to school, making breakfast on Saturday morning, or doing household chores.

For iPhone users: Apple Podcasts works perfectly fine. For Android users: Pocket Cast is solid. I've used both and they're equally good.

The reason podcasts work for me is that I can consume 45 minutes to an hour of content while not having to sit down and focus on consuming content. I'm already going for a walk or making dinner—might as well learn something or hear about what's happening in the world.

I download episodes before I leave home if I'm worried about data. Then I can listen on my commute, during my prep period if I'm doing something mechanical like setting up materials, or on weekend mornings.

It's not that reading isn't valuable. It absolutely is. But podcasts let me do the least in terms of staying informed about what’s happening in our field, without requiring me to find extra time in my day.

5. Notion: Where Everything Eventually Lives

Okay, this one needs a bit more explanation because Notion is bigger than the other apps.

Think of Notion as your permanent workspace. Everything else is for quick capture—Notion is where things go to stay organized long-term.

How I actually use it:

I have four main sections: Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive. (If you're curious about this system, read our blog How to organize your teaching life with 4 simple folders).

For tasks: Most of what's in Todoist gets checked off and disappears. But some tasks are big. They can't be done in one sitting. Those go into Notion, where I break them down into subtasks and add notes about resources I need or ideas I have. Curriculum planning for next term? That's a Notion project with multiple steps.

For notes: I capture quick thoughts in Apple Notes throughout the day. But at the end of the day or week, the important ones get moved to Notion. If I'm working on a specific project—say, redesigning my Year 10 unit—all my notes about that project go into a dedicated page in Notion. So when I sit down to actually work on it, everything is in one place.

For highlights and resources: Remember those Readwise highlights? They automatically sync to Notion. Every article I save, every highlight I make, all end up in my Notion workspace. And here's where it gets useful—I can add my own notes to those highlights. I can connect ideas between different articles or books I've read. I can see patterns I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

It's like a second brain. Everything I want to keep long-term lives in Notion. Everything I need to do short-term lives in Todoist. Everything I need to capture quickly lives in Apple Notes or Readwise. And then it all flows into Notion for permanent storage and connection.