Turn an empty room into an engaging place to learn

Today I came into my classroom for the first time this school year, and this is what I faced.

The girls put the desks in groups, made sure every seat had a good view of the board, put up all my bulletin boards (hallelujah!), and cleaned. A couple of hours later, it was all ship-shape, leaving time for us to catch the lunch specials at a local sushi place.