I often find the first day of class as awkward as most students. Each year, it gets easier and less awkward. As an icebreaker, I have my students guess what the other students are doing in the studying. We start with each person providing their name, and that's it. They then decided what program each student was studying and a hobby they thought they had. I challenge them to get creative with it. After everyone was done, we started reading them. By the time we are done, we are laughing at the assumptions. Each student then tells about their program and their hobbies. I finish the introduction by reminding students that we should never think we know something based on exterior perception and that things are not always what they appear. I also use this time to talk to the students about the course objectives and learning outcomes, being the minimum I will teach them and that they will get out of this class additional information if they are active, present, and listen. I provide each class with a homework schedule and class discussion outline.
