This study investigated the leverage of social media applications for effective teaching at the junior secondary school level (JSS2) in Calabar South Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria. Three research hypotheses guided the study. A survey research design was adopted, targeting a population of 887 teachers across 4 public secondary schools. A sample size of 87 Senior Secondary Two (SS II) teachers was selected using simple random sampling ("hat and draw" balloting). Data collection instruments included the Usage of Social Media Applications Questionnaire (USMAQ) and the Teachers' Performance Rating Scale (TPRS). Data were analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed statistically significant positive relationships between teachers' performance and their usage of Facebook ($r = 0.60$), X app ($r = 0.53$), and WhatsApp ($r = 0.75$). The study concluded that social media tools enhance teaching effectiveness and recommended their formal integration into pedagogical strategies, alongside teacher self-regulation to maintain professional boundaries.