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"Foot Stompers"

As both a student and an instructor in the military classroom, I have always appreciated the value of "foot stompers"

A "foot stomper" is something extremely important that you need to pay very close attention to because you will need to know, and be able to apply, that information in the future.

Origin of the term (based on a quick internet search): It was the eve of a critical exam for 800 highly select USAF officers at a highly competitive professional military college. The exam would have 50 questions. To make an A you needed to answer at least 47 of the questions correctly, possibly 48. Tension was HIGH. An instructor walked out on a huge wooden stage overlooking the 800 officers. He was there to review the material that the test would cover. When he went over material that was certain to be a question on the exam, he stomped his foot on the wooden stage. The officers clearly heard that stomp and knew they'd better write those words down, because they would very likely see that on the exam tomorrow. That material was known as a "foot stomper." The instructor covered a lot of material, but he had only about five "foot stompers." And sure enough, every "foot stomper" was a question on the exam.

A "foot stomper" is not only a way to highlight important information but also a great way to keep the attention of the class and get them refocused on the material.

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