When I have a new course start, or the first day, I like to hand out the syllabus, classroom rules and any other pertinent information necessary for the course. I then like to take a few minutes to introduce myself so my students have a better understanding of who I am and what they can expect from me. After that, as a bit of an opener I have the students join in by telling everyone just a few sentences about themselves. It shows interest on my part, and I think allows the students to become more comfortable with each other. I would really like to hear some ideas other people might have about their first day rituals.