First lady Jill Biden reveals she taught class via Zoom the day before inauguration

She may now be the first lady of the United States, but Jill Biden is, first and foremost, a teacher.

And the American educator with a doctorate in education was keen to reconnect with her roots in her first official engagement as first lady, taking part in a virtual event with fellow teachers to thank them for their work during the ongoing pandemic.

Ms Biden, 69, participated in a Zoom call with the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers on Thursday evening during her first full day as first lady.

"I couldn’t wait one more day to have this meeting, to say thank you on behalf of a grateful nation, to educators for their heroic commitment to students during this pandemic," she posted on Twitter after the event.

"You’ve been so strong; and we will be strong in our support for you."

The first lady was joined at the White House by Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, for the call.

"Thank you for all that you do in the day-to-day. It's not always recognised how much your work matters, but it does ... student by student, you are changing the world," Ms Biden told attendees.

During the event, the first lady confirmed that she will still educate while in her new role, telling attendees she will continue to teach writing at Northern Virginia Community College.

"I am teaching hybrid this semester myself. And I have to tell you, you know, I -- the one thing I love about educators is that we all, I think, help one another," she said.

She also revealed she had held an online class for the community college on Tuesday, hours before flying to Washington for her husband's presidential inauguration on Wednesday.

During the 20-minute Zoom call, the first lady also assured fellow teachers that the Biden administration would help schools during the pandemic by reducing class sizes, providing funding and making sure Covid-19 tests were available.

"This is our moment, because we know how to turn chaos into something beautiful. We do it every day in our classrooms," she said.

"We know how to be a light in the darkness and Joe is going to be a champion for you. Because he knows that's the best way to serve our students. Together we are going to transform our nation's education system. And when we do that, we will change the course of our future forever.

"And if you ever wonder if it's possible. Just remember that the first lady of the United States is one of your own," she concluded.

Ms Biden, who was previously second lady of the US between 2009 and 2017 during the Obama administration, holds a bachelor's degree and a doctoral degree from the University of Delaware, as well as master's degrees from West Chester University and Villanova University.

In a rare move, she will continue to balance an outside paying job alongside her duties as first lady.

In contrast, Melania Trump held her first event as Flotus on March 29, 2017, more than two months after Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20 that year.

Scroll through the gallery below to see more photos of Jill Biden through the years: