I find that on the first day of my class, that when i go around the room and have students introduce themselves and say where they are from, is a great ice breaker. This also gives me as the instructor, a chance to make small talk with each student, it also turns out that alot of the student may live close to one another. This helps in recognizing some of the characteristcs of your students as well as identifying some familiararity with other students that may be able to assist students with some issues.
