In this first day of my middle school classroom setup, I’m taking you right along with me as I start preparing my space for English Language Learners—during a pandemic. Honestly, classroom setup in 2020 felt nothing like any other year, and I know a lot of teachers were carrying real anxiety about what “back to school” would even look like. So in this vlog, I share what I’m doing, what I’m thinking about, and how I’m approaching my setup with distance learning in mind. You’ll see the beginning stages of how I’m organizing and decorating in a way that still supports language development, routines, and a welcoming environment—even when students may not be physically in the room every day. I also share some of the simple items I’m using (like borders, mindset posters, and magnetic letters) to make the room functional and visually supportive for multilingual learners. This video kicks off a whole classroom setup series, and my goal is to help you feel calmer and more confident as you plan your own ELL-friendly space—whether you’re teaching in-person, remotely, or somewhere in between.