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Jill Biden heads back to classroom for in-person classes as a working first lady

Jill Biden first lady
Posted at 11:29 PM, Sep 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-07 09:05:29-04

Jill Biden is going back to her whiteboard.

After months of teaching writing and English to community college students in boxes on a computer screen, the first lady resumes teaching in-person on Tuesday from a classroom at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has worked since 2009.

She is the first first lady to leave the White House and log hours at a full-time job.

"There are some things you just can't replace, and I can't wait to get back in the classroom," she recently told Good Housekeeping magazine.

Tammy Vigil, a Boston University communications professor who's written books about first ladies Michelle Obama and Melania, says Biden's status as a working FLOTUS is a "big deal."

Early first ladies did not work outside of the home, particularly when they arrived at the White House. While Eleanor Roosevelt served as a special ambassador for her husband, more recent first ladies like Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama decided against continuing their careers in the White House.

Jill Biden, 70, is forging a new path for herself and her successors. She told The Associated Press that she always wanted to be a career woman and has taught at Northern Virginia Community College since her husband became Vice President in 2009.

“Teaching isn’t just what I do. It’s who I am,” Biden said.