Insert a header into your Microsoft Word document. Pull down the "View" menu from the toolbar and click "Header and Footer." A text box should appear in the top margin of your page, just above where the normal text of the document appears.
Align your header in the appropriate position. For MLA essays, align the header on the right side of the paper by selecting the correct alignment icon on the toolbar at the top of your document. There are three alignment icons: left, center or right. Click on the icon for right alignment. Your cursor should now be blinking on the right side of the page in your document, signaling a right alignment.
Add information in your header. Common information includes titles and names as well as page numbers. MLA style require the author's last name and the page number. After you finish entering all of your text, move one space to the right and the page number will be inserted automatically. An example of an MLA header would be "Waldo 1."
Insert header numbers by selecting the "Insert page number" icon off the "Header and Footer" toolbar. The icon looks like the picture of a document page with a number symbol on it. Once you have selected the page number icon, the number "1" should appear one space after your text. The header numbers will change automatically for each subsequent page. Do not enter a page number into your header manually or that number will appear on every page.