Why I love the first day of class

1. Students are happy to see me -- and I can't help but return the favor.
2. The focus is on the big picture: what we're going to learn and why we want to learn it.
3. Icebreakers! I get to learn about the students' favorite movies and TV shows, and about the books and music that they lately consumed.
4. Nobody has disappointed me yet, and vice versa.
5. All the organizational work gets revealed: the syllabus, the schedule, the assignments.
6. I set the tone for the semester -- energetic, casual, enthusiastic.
7. Trying to convince the students that I'm cool.
8. Endless possibilities.