Jill Biden says she has closed the book on teaching at Northern Virginia Community College

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 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.”

“I will always love this profession, which is why I continued to teach full time while serving as your first lady,” said 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 about five weeks after the Democrat dropped his bid for reelection after 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.

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

Anne Kress, the college’s president, said Biden has been an “exceptional faculty member” who is respected and beloved by her students and colleagues.

“As she retires after an exemplary career, she leaves a lasting legacy in the lives of the students she taught, mentored and inspired over the years,” Kress said in a statement Tuesday. “She has been a remarkable, unequaled champion for America’s community colleges, and we know that her advocacy will continue.”

Jill Biden started teaching English and writing there in 2009 after Barack Obama and Joe Biden were elected president and vice president and the couple 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.”