Few things signal that students matter to you as clearly as learning their names. It tells each student they are seen as a person, not a seat number, and it makes participation feel safer. Start on the first day, even if you cannot finish then.

Use a method that fits your class. In a small course, go around and have students share their name and something brief. In a large lecture, name tents, a seating chart, or a photo roster can help, and you can commit to learning names a section at a time. However you do it, make the effort visible. Students notice when a teacher tries to know them, and it changes how they show up.