Getting to know your students as individuals, and letting the students know who you are, will help to establish rapport. As Teddy Roosevelt said, "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care." By establishing both credibility and rapport, a professor can help the students feel more at ease about taking a course as an adult.
Taking time out of the first class to not only conduct introductions, but also to introduce students to the course, is paramount. It may feel like time that could be better spent with instruction; however, by outlining the course goals, objectives, and expectations, a professor is able to set the course for students to be successful in class.
