First lady Jill Biden, center, is joined by Becky Pringle, president of National Education Association, left, and Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers , right, during a virtual thank you event for educators with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
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Jill Biden says she has closed the book on teaching at Northern Virginia Community College

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First lady Jill Biden, left, listens while Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers, right, speaks during a virtual thank you event for educators with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
First lady Jill Biden, center, is joined by Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, left, and Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers , right, during a virtual thank you event for educators with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
First lady Jill Biden, center, is joined by Becky Pringle, president of National Education Association, left, and Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers , right, during a virtual thank you event for educators with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
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Jill Biden

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First lady Jill Biden, center, is joined by Becky Pringle, president of National Education Association, left, and Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers , right, during a virtual thank you event for educators with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden has closed the book on her teaching career at a Virginia community college.

The first lady, who has spent the past 40 years teaching in classrooms, announced Monday that she had taught her final class at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria last week. The surprise announcement came during a virtual “thank you” event with teachers tuning in from around the country.

“Being your first lady has been the honor of my life. But being your colleague has been the work of my life,” she said. “Last Thursday, I taught my last class of the semester and my final class ever at Northern Virginia Community College.”

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“I will always love this profession, which is why I continued to teach full time while serving as your first lady,” said Jill Biden, who was joined on a sofa by teachers' union presidents Randi Weingarten, of the American Federation of Teachers and Becky Pringle, of the National Education Association.

Biden had taught English and writing at NOVA for 15 years She is the first woman to continue her professional career outside the White House while serving as first lady.

The announcement comes as she and President Joe Biden prepare to leave the White House in a little over five weeks after the Democrat dropped his reelection bid reelection after turning in a poor debate performance against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump over the summer.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris succeeded Biden, but she lost the presidential race to Trump, who is set to be inaugurated to a second term on Jan. 20.

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It was not immediately clear whether Jill Biden, 73, was retiring from teaching altogether. Aides had no immediate comment. Northern Virginia Community College also had no immediate comment.

Jill Biden started teaching English and writing there in 2009 after Barack Obama and Joe Biden were elected president and vice president and they moved to Washington. She continued to teach there after Joe Biden's term ended in 2017, riding the train down from their home in Delaware.

Before NOVA, she also taught English and writing at Delaware Technical Community College.

Jill Biden started her career in 1976, teaching English at a high school in Wilmington, Delaware, before becoming a reading specialist at another high school. She also taught English at a psychiatric hospital while she pursued her second master's degree. She also has a doctorate in educational leadership.

She often said, “teaching isn't what I do, it's who I am.”