I think meeting the class for the first time s a little scary. We all want our classes to be awesome, like us and be smooth. Each time we start over we don’t know what to expect. I always try to break the ice, with a get to know me, get to know you game. I typically go through all the important facts, syllabus and what I expect PowerPoint, then bring them each a small bag of M & M’s and have them tell a story about themselves if they have a blue one, a vacation they’ve been on with a green, an orange tell us about a hobby, a yellow tell us about your family, etc. I think a class that knows a little about one another has a better chance of having that cooperative learning style, and a more caring attitude about learning. When they realize I actually do care about their learning they are more apt to be engaged.