Jill Biden says she has closed her teaching book 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 taught her last class at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria last week. The surprise announcement came during a “thank you” ceremony where teachers from across the country listened.

“Being your wife has been an honor in my life. But being a partner has been my life's work,” he said. “Last Thursday, I taught my last class of the semester and my last class at Northern Virginia Community College.”

“I will always love this job, which is why I continued to teach full time when I was your first wife,” said Jill Biden, who was joined on the couch by the president of the teachers' unions, Randi Weingarten, of the American Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers. Becky Pringle, of the National Education Association.

Biden has 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 more than five weeks after the Democrat withdrew his re-election bid after a negative debate response against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump over the summer.

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

It is not clear whether Jill Biden, 73, has completely retired from teaching. Assistants were not immediately available for comment. Northern Virginia Community College also had no immediate comment.

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

Prior to NOVA, he also taught English and writing at Delaware Technical Community College.

Jill Biden began her career in 1976, teaching English at a high school in Wilmington, Delaware, before becoming a reading specialist at another high school. He also taught English at a mental hospital while doing his second master's degree. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership.

He used to say, “teaching is not what I do, it is who I am.”