Judy,
Early on, I actually stand at the door and personnaly greet each student, shake their hand and welcome them to class. Once we're all more familiar, I still try to be in the class before anyone else, and offer general help, or just chat to make a personal connection. When class begins, having everything readied suggests I'm serious about class, but my personality style is friendly, approachable and conveys "I'm here to help you".
Barry Westling
