If you are writing a research paper in MLA format, do you... please help, TEN POINTS EASY ANSWER?

I have to write a research paper for anatomy on a rat dissection we just performed in cl. It starts with a cover page, then a table of contents, then the research papers. I know that in MLA format you are supposed to put your last name and the page number in the top right corner of the page, but when do I start to do this? I didn't think I would put a page number on the cover but what about the table of contents? Or do I begin to number the pages after that?