Sometimes students are keen to know about your educational background and areas of interest. Allow the students to introduce themselves. Have students put their name, phone number, and current address on an index card in case you need to contact them. Taking the effort to know their names is an indication that you are interested in them as individuals. It also helps to create a classroom atmosphere that supports student interaction.
Some instructors devise icebreakers to get students started.
Be certain to be sensitive to students with special needs and diverse perspectives. Hand out the syllabus to the students and go over the important points. Explain the course objectives and policies regarding attendance, assignments and plagiarism. Define clearly your expectations for student participation. Briefly describe how you propose to conduct class sessions and what opportunity there will be for class participation.