I also try to check on the students who have emailed to say they were going to be late or miss class. In addition to being caring, it also helps keep the excuses honest.

Know who your students are is extremely important. The students need to know that we know who they are by name and by other features. "How your daughter?" is a connecting comment when the student was worried about a sick child on the previous class period. Understanding where each student is within the objectives of the course is even more important.