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  • - I'm about to surprise a viewer named Megan Bentley.

  • She's a second grade teacher

  • at Frederick Douglass Elementary in Leesburg, VA,

  • and like a lot of teachers, Megan does amazing things

  • for her students, so we sent Jeannie to Virginia.

  • She's outside of Megan's house right now.

  • Jeannie? Hi, Jeannie.

  • Hi. - Hi. Hi, Ellen.

  • - Hi, Jeannie. - Hi.

  • - Hi. - Hi, Jeannie.

  • So what can you tell us about Megan?

  • - Okay, so Megan, Ellen, is just this bright spot in the world.

  • She has the most positive energy and attitude.

  • You would never know that she and her husband, Bruce,

  • are going through a really difficult time right now.

  • They have a ton of student loans.

  • They're living paycheck to paycheck,

  • so much so that Megan had to go and get a second job

  • at the high school as a soccer coach,

  • and she's even looking for a third job

  • just to try and get by, but she is a huge fan of you.

  • She loves the show so much.

  • She watches every single day.

  • This surprise that we have for her is gonna blow her mind.

  • - We like to do that, and I heard you have some people there

  • that are gonna help surprise.

  • - I certainly do. Okay, so obviously Megan

  • has no clue that we are here, but she also doesn't know

  • that we secretly enlisted the help

  • of some of her fellow teachers and her principal, Paula.

  • You guys come in and say hello to Ellen.

  • - Hi. - Hey, everybody.

  • Hi. Okay, so, Paula--

  • which--which one are you, Paula?

  • The principal, right?

  • Hi, Paula, how are you?

  • - Hi, Ellen, it's great to be here.

  • - I'm so glad that you're here to help surprise her.

  • So tell us what makes Megan so special.

  • Megan is the most enthusiastic teacher I have ever had

  • the pleasure of working with.

  • She is caring. She's compassionate.

  • Just this year, we had a child who broke his arm.

  • She went over to his home, brought him books,

  • brought him games.

  • Made sure he stayed caught up with the class.

  • Her children absolutely adore her,

  • and I just truly appreciate you doing this for her.

  • - Well, I'm so glad we know about her to help her like this.

  • That's amazing, and teachers do so much good anyway.

  • but she goes above and beyond, so I'm gonna call her right now.

  • Oh, hold on. I just did something wrong.

  • I hope we keep this phone forever.

  • Just one step above, "Thelma, get me--"

  • [phone trilling]

  • - Hello? - Hello, Megan?

  • - Yeah? - Hello, Megan.

  • - Hi. - My name's Lois Morningside.

  • I'm with USA Deliveries, and I see here

  • we have a package for you from the "Ellen DeGeneres Show."

  • Are you expecting a delivery?

  • - Uh, no. - Oh, okay.

  • Well, we have a package from the "Ellen DeGe--DeGen--

  • DeGeneres Show" or something.

  • Yes. - Oh, my God.

  • - Oh, I-I--she's wonderful. Don't you love her?

  • - Oh, my God. - Hello?

  • - Hello? - Hello.

  • - Hello, hello? - Hello.

  • - [screaming] Oh, my God!

  • - It's actually me. Hi, Megan.

  • - Oh, my God. - Megan?

  • - Yes? - Hi, it's--it's Ellen.

  • - I know. - Yeah, I know.

  • But we have a delivery for you.

  • What--is it-- - Oh, my God.

  • I think we left it at your front door.

  • - [screaming]

  • - Hi, Megan.

  • - Oh, my God! Hi.

  • - How you doing? - Hi, Ellen.

  • - You may not need the phone anymore.

  • I'm not sure. Does she still need the phone?

  • - Okay. - Okay.

  • - She didn't need it. - No.

  • - So, Megan, you're a second-grade teacher, right?

  • - Yes, I am. - What's that like?

  • - I--well, I love my job,

  • and my kids mean everything to me,

  • and I knew going into it that, you know,

  • it wouldn't be the most money-making job,

  • but I wanted to make a difference in people's lives

  • like you do, Ellen, and how you

  • inspire everyone every day, and I just wanted to be like that,

  • so that's one of the reasons I've got the job that I do.

  • I love my job. - You're incredible.

  • You're 24 years old, is that right? 24?

  • - I am 24.

  • - And, uh, I know things about you.

  • But I know a lot of students come from low-income families.

  • You're constantly paying for things out of your own pocket,

  • and helping them out.

  • We actually are gonna send in-- actually--

  • - Take a break. - All right, we'll take a break

  • 'cause I want to send you something,

  • but I don't have it yet apparently.

  • So I'll take a break, and then when we come back--

  • Okay, we'll be back.

  • And, Megan, that's your husband, right?

  • Yeah, this is my husband. - Hi, Ellen.

  • - Hi, husband, how are you?

  • - Very good. How are you? - I'm good, thanks.

  • - Sorry it's a little loud right here.

  • - Yeah, well, it's very exciting, and Jeannie's there.

  • - Very exciting. - So, okay, so, Megan,

  • it's holiday time.

  • Have you done your holiday shopping yet?

  • - No, we ha--we haven't gone holiday shopping yet, Ellen.

  • My husband and I decided not to do presents this year.

  • We've got some debt and some student loans

  • we're trying to pay down so we can start our family.

  • It's a dream of ours, and we just really can't do that

  • right now, so we're--

  • we haven't bought our Christmas presents yet.

  • - Okay. Well, we want to help you out with that

  • because you're a fan of the show and you've probably seen--

  • you've probably been watching, right?

  • The last, like, the week or so prior to this,

  • we, you know, like, we give stuff away,

  • like, 12 Days and stuff like that, right?

  • - Oh, yeah, no big deal or anything.

  • - Yes, yes, yes. - Yeah.

  • No, I was just reminding you.

  • So the real reason we sent Jeannie to your house

  • is we think what you do for your students is amazing,

  • and that you're going through a hard time,

  • so we want to help you with your holiday shopping,

  • so we're going to give you everything we gave away

  • for the entire 12 Days. Everything.

  • - Here. - [screaming]

  • Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

  • - Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

  • - Oh, my God!

  • - We got a bike. Paula, will you bring it right over here?

  • Beautiful. Bring it on in. - Oh, my God!

  • - Go ahead, Steve. We can scooch it over.

  • - [screaming] - Come on in.

  • - Oh, my gosh, you're so sneaky.

  • [screaming]

  • You brought everybody! [screaming]

  • That goes right on top there.

  • Make some-- - Oh, my God!

  • - Come on, get up here, Bruce. This is all your stuff.

  • Keep bringing it in. - Oh, my God.

  • Ellen, thank you so much! - Oh, there's more.

  • - Megan, so-- so you're surprised probably

  • to see your coworkers there, right?

  • - Were you surprised by your coworkers?

  • - Oh, my gosh, they are so sneaky.

  • - They're sneaky.

  • They're sneaky. You should never trust them again.

  • That was very sneaky of them.

  • So listen, this-- this is really amazing.

  • And it's because you do so much.

  • I mean, teachers-- I love teachers anyway,

  • but you go above and beyond,

  • and you pay for things out of your own pocket

  • when you can't even afford to do things for yourself,

  • which is an amazing, amazing thing that you're doing,

  • so we love that about you, and...

  • [cheers and applause]

  • - Thank you so much. - Thank you.

  • - Thank you. This means so much to us.

  • Thank you so much.

  • - You're welcome, Bruce and Megan,