Grace Jenkins of Teaching with Grace on Supporting Teachers With Affordable Classroom Resources

Grace Jenkins of Teaching with Grace on Building a Global Teacher Resource Community Through Social Media

Grace Jenkins is the Founder of Teaching with Grace, an education platform dedicated to supporting elementary educators with accessible classroom resources. After leaving her role as an elementary school teacher due to health challenges, Grace turned a collection of resources she had created for her own classroom into a growing online business serving teachers worldwide.

Launched in 2023, Teaching with Grace centers around the Mega Teacher Drive, an all in one digital resource library designed to help educators access high quality materials without spending hundreds of dollars out of pocket. Through consistent content creation and a rapidly growing social media presence, Grace has built a community of more than 130,000 educators who rely on her platform for practical support, classroom tools, and inspiration.

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

Hey! I'm Grace, the founder of Teaching with Grace. I started this business because I kept seeing the same frustrating reality play out for teachers everywhere, they're constantly spending hundreds of dollars out of pocket just to do their jobs. Bundles, curriculum, resources… it adds up fast, and honestly? It's not fair.

So I built something to fix that.

Teaching with Grace supports elementary educators worldwide through one simple thing: the Mega Teacher Drive, an all in one resource library that gives teachers everything they need for a single payment of $65.

I launched in November 2023, went full throttle in January 2024, and in just two years, we've grown into a community of over 130,000 educators across social media. That community is everything to me. It's proof that teachers are hungry for support that doesn't come with a massive price tag.

My whole mission comes down to this, teachers deserve better, and I'm here to make sure they get it.

Are you a mamaprenista?

I am a dog mamaprenista, but that is about it! I am still super young, so this is not in the cards for me yet!

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

When I first launched, there was no strategy, no master plan, no marketing playbook. Honestly? I didn't even think this would become a real business. I was just a girl trying to create some quick cash flow while I went back to school for my Masters in Instructional Design, hoping to eventually land a new job and build a new life in Boston.

I knew nothing about social media. But I made myself one simple promise: show up every day and post. That was it. No fancy formula, no viral strategy, just consistency and the decision to keep going even when nobody was watching.

Now, about 22 months later, I can tell you that simple promise was everything. Showing up every single day built a dependable algorithm, and that algorithm built reach and that reach is what built this business.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No, but when I was a little kid, I used to be the kid in the back of the classroom creating bookmarks to sell for 50 cents and $1 if they were laminated.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

Honestly, this question made me pause because the truth is, I don't stop often enough to think about it.

I acknowledge the success of what I've built. The numbers, the growth, the community, I see it. But if I'm being real, I don't have one single accomplishment I'm most proud of, because every single day feels like one to me. Every day that I show up and support educators around the world is a win. That never gets old.

The teachers who message me saying they finally feel equipped in their classroom, the ones who tell me they stopped spending their own money on resources, that is the accomplishment. Not a milestone, not a number. Just the everyday reminder that what I'm doing actually matters.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

Honestly, I'm just starting my Entreprenista journey today, so I'm going to be real with you, I don't have the answer to this one yet.

But what I can tell you is that I've already built Entreprenista time into my schedule because I am intentional about the things I commit to. So by the time we get to this conversation, I will have lived in it enough to give you something real and worth hearing.

Check back with me, I'll have receipts because I love data.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

So I'll give you a little behind the scenes first, my one hire so far is actually my boyfriend. And before you say anything, I hired him because I knew exactly what he was capable of. His background in SEO and AI made him a perfect fit, and now he regularly supports me with tasks that keep the business running smoother. No regrets.

But if I were sitting across from a candidate in an actual interview, I really only need to know one thing, what makes you want a shot at this position?

That's it. And I'm not listening for the most polished answer or the most impressive resume. I'm picking the person who has the most heart in that answer. Because skills can be taught, but drive? Passion? That you either have or you don't.

If you can make me feel why you want to be here, you've already won half the interview.

What did you do before starting your own business?

Elementary Teacher :)

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

Honestly, starting my own business wasn't something I planned, it was something life pushed me toward.

I was an elementary teacher, and I loved it. Teaching was all I had ever known. But during one of my years in the classroom, I started experiencing serious health problems that were being made worse by mold in the school building. When I went to administration for support, I was met with nothing. So I made the hardest decision I could. I decided to put my health first and stepped away from teaching.

I was a young adult(23 at the time) with no backup plan and honestly, no idea what came next. The only thing I knew I had was a skill of creating teacher resources. I used to design all of my own slides, recreate worksheets to actually engage my students, and build materials. My fellow teachers would always tell me, "You should sell this on Teachers Pay Teachers, you could really make something with this."

So there I was no platform, no following, no game plan. All I had was a folder of resources I had created and the decision to believe in myself.

I started simple. I got on TikTok and just began posting. At first I was sharing resources and pointing people toward Teachers Pay Teachers, but I quickly realized how hard it is to grow when nobody knows who you are. I had to think differently.

So I asked myself , what is the biggest problem teachers actually have?

The answer was right in front of me, because I had lived it. As an elementary teacher, I used to spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars by the end of the year on classroom resources. Teachers are expected to pour so much into their students, and somehow the cost of doing that keeps coming out of their own pockets. That's not supported. That's a system that takes from the very people holding it together.

That's when the idea for the Teacher Drive was born.

I started it with a simple Google Drive packed with all the resources I had created, available for a one time payment of $20. It wasn't flashy, but it was real, and teachers responded. By the end of 2024, the drive had taken off. Teachers were already asking about a 2025 version, so I grew it and raised the price to $40, but any teacher who had already paid $20 only paid the difference. That's always been my approach. If a teacher has ever given me anything, whether it was $20 or $40 they simply pay whatever is left to reach the current total. No one starts over.

Now in 2026, the Teacher Drive is $65 USD and gives access to over 25,000 pages of resources, plus new materials I create and add every single week, all hosted on a brand new website or a google drive(Teacher Choice). The price has grown because what I'm delivering has grown, but the mission has never changed.

That $65 isn't me selling a worksheet. It's a one time investment in everything you need, so that your time and your money can go back to teachers pockets, where it belongs. I'm not here to be another thing that costs teachers. I'm here to be the thing that finally gives back to them.

Do you have any recent wins?

In the past month, I started partnering with brands I genuinely love to bring free resources to teachers.

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with Bogg Bag. They gave me some of their goodies, and in return I created a Bogg Bag inspired bulletin board and worksheets, completely free for teachers. No catch, no cost. Just a fun, creative resource landing in classrooms because a brand and a creator decided to do something good with their partnership.

That's the kind of win I love most because everybody wins. The brand gets to connect with educators in a meaningful way, I get to keep creating, and teachers get something they can actually use without spending a single dollar.

This is just the beginning of that chapter, and I cannot wait to see where it goes.

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

Instagram. And yes, I am addicted but in the best way possible.

The difference is I use Instagram as a producer, not a consumer. I'm not on there mindlessly scrolling. I'm in their building. That's where I find teachers who are struggling, teachers who are looking for support, teachers who need exactly what I've created. Instagram is where I've been able to grow this community into what it is today.

Instagram isn't a distraction for me. It's a tool. And when you shift your mindset from consuming to creating, it completely changes how you show up on the app.

Who are your customers?

Educators

What's your top productivity tip?

My top productivity tip is to simply show up every single day, no matter what. Even if it's just 10 minutes. Do something. Post something. Respond to a comment. Create one slide. Whatever it is, just do something that moves you, your community, or your business forward.

I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to have these big, productive days and when we can't show up fully we don't show up at all. But consistency beats perfection every time. Those 10 minute days? They add up. They're the reason I'm still here.

What's your favorite business tool?

Claude AI or any AI!

But at this point Claude is less of a tool and more of an extension of my business. I have full one -on-one with Claude to support my growth, review data, think through next steps, and work through decisions across every aspect of what I do. It's like having a business partner available to me at any hour of the day.

People think of AI as something that replaces the human element but for me it's the opposite, it helps me think clearer, move faster, and show up better. Claude keeps me sharp.

What's your approach to work-life balance?

Okay, let me laugh first because work life balance as a young entrepreneur is something I am very much still figuring out.

And I'll be honest, trying to figure it out on my own wasn't working. So one of the things I'm doing is actually working through it with a therapist, and that has made a real difference.Sometimes you need help building the boundaries you can't build alone. My therapist has helped me to outline my core values, and to think of ways to stay present.

But practically, here's what's been helping me. I work from home, so the lines between work and life get blurry fast. One thing I do is take a candlelight shower at the end of the day and I actually focus on the shower, no phone, no mental to-do list, just that moment. It sounds small but it signals to my brain that the day is done.

I also protect my mornings. I start with devotion time before I open anything work related. That time is mine.

And I use timers throughout the day. When the timer goes off, the laptop closes, no negotiations. At least 30 minutes to an hour of doing something purely for me.

The last one is big, I put my phone on silent so I'm not constantly reacting to every social media notification. The buzz will always be there. My peace won't if I don't protect it.

Like I said, I haven't fully cracked this. But I'm doing the work literally and personally.

How do you avoid burn-out?

Burnout is real and if you're showing up every single day like I just talked about, you have to be intentional about protecting your energy too.

For me, the answer is treating myself. Non negotiable. I get a facial at least once a month, my hair done every 8 weeks, my nails every two weeks, and I am always on the lookout for a fun activity to do. Those aren't luxuries to me, they're maintenance. When I feel good, I work well. It's that simple.

But honestly my favorite burnout cure? I turn on my speaker and I dance to at least one song(Usually Family Affair by Mary J. Blige) every single day while I'm working. I don't care what the energy is giving that day, one song, full commitment. And I know it sounds silly but it genuinely does something for your mood that nothing else can replicate.

Self care doesn't have to be a spa weekend. Sometimes it's a fresh set of nails and a two minute dance break in your living room.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Stop being afraid of social media. That's it. That's my advice.

Get on the app. Show your face. Create content. Film b-roll. Do whatever it takes to get your product in front of people because if what you have is genuinely going to help someone, the right audience will find you. The algorithm rewards people who show up.

So many people are sitting on something great and waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect setup, the perfect following to already exist. But the following is built by showing up before any of that is perfect.

The only thing standing between you and growth is the decision to start.

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What began as a simple idea shared online has evolved into a thriving community supporting teachers across the globe. Through Teaching with Grace, Grace Jenkins continues to advocate for educators by making classroom resources more accessible, helping teachers save time and money while focusing on what matters most — their students.

If you are a woman founder looking to grow your business while connecting with a powerful network of female entrepreneurs, Entreprenista provides the community and resources to help you scale with confidence. Learn more about joining Entreprenista League.