In some classes, students become a community of people who trust the instructor enough to admit when they’re lost. In others, everyone remains a stranger, including the instructor. This interactive workshop examines the small design choices that can help create the first kind of classroom: how to open the semester, structure discussion and group work, respond to silence and mistakes, and be approachable while maintaining clear expectations. Participants will explore several of these strategies and leave with a small set of adaptable practices to use in their own teaching.