Every year I have taught compilers, I start the first class by writing a compiler, even before going into the syllabus. Students are aware of what a compiler is, but not necessarily how it works. This introduction gives them this context, and allows students to make better sense of the syllabus and the contents for the rest of the semester.
As this is a very limited compiler (both in scope, and in quality), identifying those challenges also gives a perspective of why is it relevant to spend one or two classes on parsing.