It's incredible what a difference a group of students makes. Last fall, I had a composition class in which everything on the syllabus was the worst thing ever--writing 3-4 pages, reading 6-10 pages, doing peer review, discussing, presenting research, attending class.
This spring, I'm teaching exactly the same material and assignments to a class who thinks it's all hilarious and fun and exciting. They get carried away with writing and discussion and peer review. They're excited about learning.