I have always done an "Oprah" exercise with my classes. I have the students break into pairs and they interview each other on a series of set questions. After, they introduce one another. Immediately one connection is made. Because the questions are the same for each pair, a bunch of connections are always made across the class. One semester, I decided the exercise was too much and didn't do it. The class NEVER gelled. Unbelievable what attention to this topic can do for you.
