Okay, so for your first post:
What steps did you take to ‘dress’ the male character?
To change their default outfit (or any outfit):
-Click your story so that it opens to the screen with the tabs: Characters, Outfits, Speech Bubbles etc
-Click Outfits
-Click the “My Outfits” near the left top of the Outfits section.
-Scroll and click the outfit name (i.e. MALELI_default) and it will load a new page with your MALELI and his outfit.
-Click the x on each of the clothing items on the right side of your screen to undress all the default clothing.
From there just scroll and find clothing you want, double click them to add and create your outfit.
Once you are done picking clothing/accessories, click “Save” at the top right above the preview of your character.
To make a new outfit, follow the first two steps above then:
-Click New outfit (above the My Outfits button)
-Type in a new name in the text box above the clothing-- I like to use Episode numbers and letters so my outfit names look like: ARIAEP10A (first outfit in episode 10, the 2nd would be EP10B and so on.) but you can name them really anything. Just make sure that you spell the outfit names correctly in the portal to use. 
-Once you like your new outfit- click “Save”.
To use the outfits in your story:
@CHAR changes into CHAR_default
or
@CHAR previews outfit CHAR_default
For your second question: about the background.
You have to:
1st: The portal background comes ‘pre-loaded’ with an overlay of the front desks- You use this ‘built in’ overlay by coding:
INT. CLASSROOM FRONT OL - DAY with INT. CLASSROOM FRONT OL - DAY at layer 0
^^make sure to use the version with OL in the name. From there you would just layer your characters behind layer 0 (so -1, -2, -20)
example:
INT. CLASSROOM FRONT OL - DAY with INT. CLASSROOM FRONT OL - DAY at layer 0
&zoom reset
&MALEMC spot 1.280 234 75 in zone 1 and MALEMC moves to layer -1 and MALEMC faces right and MALEMC starts read_sit_book_open_neutral_loop
@transition fade in black in 2
@pause for a beat
MALEMC
(This story is fantastic! )
^^The MALEMC is now behind the desk – note that my spot numbers are 100% made up and probably will not place your character anywhere near where you want them
IF you want more students than will fit behind that first row:
Vist: Episode Overlays, Free Use
Click the link in my top post and find the folder: INT. CLASSROOM DESK - DAY (all folders are labeled by catalog background name to make them easy to find.) and download the images in that folder – they are the chairs and the desks (as well as the side wall to put characters outside the room’s window – not necessary unless you need it. lol)
Upload and name the overlays in the Portal’s Art Catalog under Overlays
Save and Refresh your Writer’s Portal to make it show the new overlays.
Code like:
INT. CLASSROOM DESK - DAY with DESKS FRONT ROW at layer 10 with CHAIRS FRONT ROW at layer 7 with DESKS SECOND ROW at layer 4 with CHAIRS SECOND ROW at layer 1 with —
^^and so on for each overlay. Try to make sure to leave at least 2 layers between each set – so for desks in front row, I put at layer 10 - the chairs for that row, I put at 7 – that leaves rows 8 and 9 for overlays and characters.
To layer/place characters start with:
&CHARACTER stands screen left and CHARACTER moves to layer 8 and CHARACTER faces right and CHARACTER starts read_sit_book_neutral_loop
&CHARACTER2 stands screen left and CHARACTER moves to layer 8 and CHARACTER faces right and CHARACTER starts talk_sit_neutral_loop
^^for each character you want in the scene. By putting them all to the left, you’ll have 2/3 of your background clear to move people around. From there, just spot direct and change out “stands screen left” with “spot 1.250 352 31 in zone 1”