9 Sample Excellent Recommendation Letters for Your Job

9 Sample Excellent Recommendation Letters for Your Job SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Anyone who’s applied for a job knows how important recommendation letters can be to getting hired. While you've probably asked for a reference letter in the past, you may be less familiar with writing one. If someone asks you for a reference, how can you produce a greatletter that will help your employee, colleague, or friend get hired? To help you through the writing process, we’re providing nine samples of effective letters of recommendation (scroll down to skip to the samples!). By reading through these examples, you’ll gain a clear understanding of how to structure your own letters. Before getting to the free recommendation letter samples, let’s briefly review the role that referenceletters play in the hiring process. Why are they important, and what makes some stand out over others? Why Are Recommendation Letters Important? Many employers request recommendation letters to help them decide who to hire or internally promote. Throughout the hiring process, the applicant strives to present herself in the best light. Beyond the interview and resume, hiring managers look to recommendation letters to confirm the candidate’s qualifications and to gain insight from an outside party. The hiring manager wants to know what experiences the candidate will bring to the new role, how she’ll contribute to the company or organization, and how she’ll behave in the day-to-day. Recommendation letters can point to a candidate’s future performance by talking about her past achievements. Reference letters can also shed light on what it’s like to manage, work with, or, in the case of a character reference, be friends with the person under consideration. Theycomplement the candidate’s story and suggest what she’ll bring to the table in her next job. If you get asked to write a letter for someone, it’s safe to assume you want to do a good job. Helping someone get hired is not just a satisfying good deed, but it’s also good professional karma! So how can you turn those good intentions into a stand-out employee letter of recommendation? Each letter will, of course, be different, but good letters share certain key features. Read on to learn about three important characteristics of strong reference letters. Your recommendation letter's not the time to be cagey about your identity! The hiring manager wants to know who you are and why you're qualified to recommend the applicant. What Makes a Recommendation Letter Stand Out? 3Key Features Strong letters give positive descriptions of a candidate’s skills in a concise and powerful way. Beyond using language that's clear and error-free, what elements should your recommendation letter include to be effective? As you write your letter, make sure it does the following: #1: Explains Why You’re Qualified to Recommend the Candidate In order to hold weight, a recommendation letter should come from a reputable source. If an employer wants a professional reference, then the writer of that letter probably worked with the candidate in a supervisory capacity. Some employers will also be interested in letters from a colleague or, occasionally, a friend, neighbor, or family member. Most letters, though, will be written by a supervisor, manager, or boss of some sort. In the first paragraph, you should explain who you are and how you know the candidate. How long did you work with her and in what capacity? By explaining your relationship, you show that you’re qualified to give an honest assessment. If someone who feels like a relative stranger asks you to write a letter, you might consider declining or recommending someone else to write it. If you didn’t get to know the candidate’s work performance or only did so in a way completely unrelated to the new position, then you might not be able to provide a helpful letter of recommendation from employer to employee. The best letters are written by people who can speak to the candidate’s skills and accomplishments. Make sure to state clearly in the beginning of your letter who you are and why your opinion matters. #2: Customized to the New Position While you should speak to the candidate’s accomplishments in her past role, you should also show why she’d make a good fit in the next one. Even if the candidate’s making a career change, you can explain why she’ll be able to do well in the new industry. Here’s where open communication with the applicant is important. She should share the job description so you have a clear understanding of the position’s requirements. As the writer, you’re not expected to do much research on the new job. The candidate should provide you with everything you need to know to customize your letter. By drawing on this information, you can express confidence that the candidate will succeed in the new role. Then when the hiring manager reads your letter, she’ll feel reassured that the candidate would make a good fit. #3: Uses Specific Examples and Anecdotes Finally, and perhaps most importantly, your letter should provide specific examples about the candidate. Don’t just list adjectives like, â€Å"friendly, intelligent, and hard-working†; instead, present circumstances in which the candidate demonstrated those qualities. To borrow a favorite phrase of English teachers, â€Å"show, don’t just tell.† Not only will examples point to the value the candidate brought to your organization or company, but they’ll also paint a picture of how she works in day-to-day operations. Using two to three specific anecdotes in your letter will boost its level of persuasiveness. It will also sidestep a common rec letter trap: becoming a generic list of cliches. Just as you should only write a recommendation letter if you feel qualified to assess the candidate, you should also only write it if you can provide a great one. While you don’t want to go over the top and sound insincere, your letter should be a strongly positive endorsement. Want to provide a strong recommendation for your employee, but don't have the time to craft the perfect letter? PrepScholar's new recommendation tool, SimpleRec, takes you from good intentions and a blank page to a fully written and formatted letter of recommendation in under 5 minutes. All you need to do is give us some simple pieces of information about your employee and your experience working with them, and we'll do the rest. Try out SimpleRec risk-free today: Sample Recommendation Letters As you read through the nine free job recommendation letters below, notice how they all share the three key features described above, even though they differ in terms of their source and target audience. Below are nine sample recommendation letters, each followed by an analysis of what it does well! Sample Recommendation Letter 1: Written by a Direct Manager for a Full-Time Employee Sample Recommendation Letter 2: Written by a Principal for a Teacher Sample Recommendation Letter 3: Written by a Direct Manager for a Part-Time Employee Sample Recommendation Letter 4: Written by a Manager for a RemoteWorker Sample Recommendation Letter 5: Written by aSupervisor for an Internal Promotion Sample Recommendation Letter 6: Written by aSupervisor for a Student Intern Sample Recommendation Letter 7: Written by a Coworker Sample Recommendation Letter 8: Written by a Professor for a Former Student Sample Recommendation Letter 9: Written by a Friend as a Character Reference After checking out the above samples of recommendation letters, read on for some final thoughts onhow to write an excellent letter of recommendation for an employee, coworker, or friend. Now that you've got all the building blocks, you can put them together into a powerful letter of recommendation! Writing Strong Letters of Recommendation: Final Thoughts While the above samples of recommendation letters will help guide you through the letter writing process, they can’t look exactly like your final product. Writing a letter is a significant undertaking, as it requires you to customize your words to the candidate and make your letter unique. Even though the specifics will vary, strong letters of recommendation do have certain features in common.Each letter should... Use an Official Format The sample letters show the proper format for a recommendation letter. They have the employer’s name, position, company, and company’s address at the top. To give one example, here's the header for recommendation letter sample #1: Ms. Greta JohanssenSales ManagerStreambase Corp.66 Western BoulevardSanta Fe, New Mexico 87500 You should also use official letterhead that has your name and contact information across the top, in whatever way you've chosen to present it. Each letter is addressed to a specific person, a greeting that’s more personal than, â€Å"Dear Hiring Manager.† Typically, paragraphs are single-spaced with a double space in between each one. Finally, every letter concludes with an invitation to contact the writer for any further information. Then the writer may include her position, company, phone number, and email below her name. Start with a Strong Opener The strongest letters start out with an immediate statement of support. They might say, â€Å"It’s my honor,† â€Å"It’s my pleasure,† or â€Å"I’m very pleased to provide this letter of recommendation for Joe.† Stating the obvious with a sentence like, â€Å"I’m writing to recommend Joe,† looks weak beside a more enthusiastic opener. In the first paragraph, explain who you are and why you’re qualified to recommend the candidate. Write a line or two of praise about her professional and personal strengths, perhaps with a summary of the main points you’ll present in the rest of the letter. Include Two to Three Specific Examples As mentioned above, strong letters typically include two to three body paragraphs with specific anecdotes about the candidate. They don’t just describe the applicant’s great qualities and accomplishments; they give examples and prove to her prospective employer that she’s made achievements in the past that predict future success. You might talk about a project or responsibility of the applicant or the value she’s brought to your company. Consider relevant qualities like flexibility, initiative, leadership, growth, collaboration, interpersonal skills, and/or ability to perform within a certain environment or culture. To Sum Up... Depending on your relationship with the candidate, you might focus more on her work performance or personal character in your recommendation letter. An employer will focus more heavily on professional skills while a coworker may add personal qualities. A friend or neighbor providing a character reference would produce the most personal letter. It falls upon the candidate to choose her recommenders wisely and to share any relevant information about the prospective position to help them write the best letter they can. As long as you incorporate the key features discussed above and take the time to make your letter positive and specific, you’ll provide a strong recommendation letter that will help your employee, colleague, or friend get hired. And who knows - perhaps in a year or two, she’ll be writing a recommendation letter for you! What's Next? Are you tasked with writing a recommendation letter for a student applying to college? If so, check out these samples of recommendation letters from teachers and counselors, along with additional writing tips and a thorough recommendation letter template! 4 Amazing Samples of Recommendation Letters from Teachers Should You Move to a State with No Income Taxes 3 Examples of Excellent Recommendation Letters from Counselors Complete Guide: Writing a Strong Letter of Recommendation Unsecured Credit Cards for Those with Bad Credit A Great College Recommendation Letter Template Want to provide a strong recommendation for your employee, but don't have the time to craft the perfect letter? PrepScholar's new recommendation tool, SimpleRec, takes you from good intentions and a blank page to a fully written and formatted letter of recommendation in under 5 minutes. All you need to do is give us some simple pieces of information about your employee and your experience working with them, and we'll do the rest. Try out SimpleRec risk-free today:

How to Survive Failing a Class in College

How to Survive Failing a Class in College Oh my, now you’ve done it. You failed a class in college and what you once knew as a normal human life is about to descend into the seventh layer of†¦just kidding. Listen, it happens. Countless freshmen and sophomores lose sight, or let things slip. Sometimes upperclassmen take on more than they can handle. In this post we’ll look at a step-by-step process you can use to effectively deal with a big fat F. Step 1: Evaluate Overall GPA Fin-Aid Impact The moment you know you’re going to fail, or you happen to find out, the first thing you need to do is see how it will influence your overall GPA (big eye opener for most folks), and how it will impact financial aid. It could have a big impact on students with scholarships and things. Or who are getting funding from private sources with certain expectations. Whatever the case is, the first step to damage control is knowing the extent of the damage. Is this a course you absolutely must have for your major or are there other alternatives that may be better suited to you? How is this going to change your schedule for next quarter/semester? Does this mean that summer school is in your future? Maybe so. That’s not such a bad thing, but it could put a crimp in any road trip plans. Step 2: Evaluate Why You Think You Freaking Failed! Be honest and upfront with yourself. In the halls it sounds like a prison yard – everyone’s innocent! There’s a massive conspiracy going on, or the professor is being a hard ass with unreasonable expectations. Come on. Did you study as much as you should have or did you slack off and play video games with roomies instead? When you did poorly on the first couple tests, or struggled along why didn’t you join any study groups? What’s going on with you? Is this behavior causing you to come close to failing other classes? Come to terms, honestly, with the real cause for your failing and then do this next thing†¦ Step 3: Schedule Appointment with Professor If the class is one you have to take, then schedule an appointment with the professor. And, guess what, the reason your meeting with them is to apologize. That’s right! It’s your fault, not theirs. You’re going in there to say you’re sorry and you recognize the issue at hand. You’re ready and more than willing to correct things. Then, after you’ve genuinely humbled yourself, ask the professor for any advice they could give you to do better next time. DO NOT ask for a change in grade, insinuating they were somehow wrong or unfair to you. DO NOT walk in there and start playing the world’s smallest violin. They’ve heard it all, and at the end of the day your problems aren’t theirs. Most of the time this isn’t what they’ll expect. When they see how sorry and re-committed you are, they’ll tend to give you a little extra attention. Show professors you care, that you’re actually much better than this. Step 4: Make a New Plan Now, it’s time to fashion a new approach. One that will put you at the head of the class rather than the other end that you’re currently occupying. Bounce back like Rocky Balboa would! There’s no lack of support for students that are having trouble. Study groups are everywhere, along with tutors and fellow students that would appreciate the opportunity to practice what they know by teaching you on the side. If you don’t have a set studying schedule in general, now’s the time genius. Start devoting some time to online research as well. These days with access to the internet and the on-campus library system, there’s no excuse. Do you need to re-prioritize things? Is work playing a role here? You know the goal: turning that F into an A and bumping up the GPA. Set objectives, meet them and learn your lesson quickly. Avoiding problems is easier than solving them. So, find out how to avoid failing a college class even if you dont like it! Step 5: Don’t Hide It Don’t try and hide the failed class from family or friends. Be upfront with people. When they see that you’ve learned your lesson and are making changes to better yourself, you’ll get tons of extra support that you just didn’t know was there before because you weren’t trying. Study harder and in visible places where fellow majors will see you. Start hanging out with the other â€Å"studiers† and the students that are taking their education seriously. Step 6: Ace It! No worries, it happens. Do what you have to do to be more than you seem to be. You can and will ace these simple college level tests when you commit. The adult world is just around the corner where failures can be absolutely devastating.

How Can RyanAir maintain its dominance in the European low-cost Dissertation

How Can RyanAir maintain its dominance in the European low-cost airline market - Dissertation Example The use of secondary research methodology in the research confers some distinct advantages for which it is extensively preferred. Firstly with the development of internet communication the secondary research activity has become easier in terms of gaining access to large amount of data within a much lesser time period. Secondly the use of secondary research activity also helps in reducing the level of research cost as the researcher does not have to depend on market or field research. Thirdly the use of secondary research serves as a background for conducting effective primary research activity. The researcher armed with potential information can test the practical aspect through conducting a survey based research. Fourthly the use of secondary research generates authentic information gained through the study of potential literatures written by eminent authors. Al these aspects reflect the effectiveness for depending on secondary research in conducting a research activity (McDaniel, & Gates, 1998, p.90). Apart from conducting the research based on secondary data sources primary or survey based research is also conducted. Primary or survey based research is conducted through the construction of questionnaires which would be used over a particular sample size of 200 respondents. The use of primary research activity helps in gaining focus over a particular focus group to retrieve answer to a specific research question. This methodology is considered to be pragmatic in that it helps in generating current and more feasible information pertaining to external marketing conditions. Moreover through the use of primary research the researcher can gain access to large number of views in regards to the research query. However the process of primary research entails an increase of research expenditure for employing people to conduct the research survey. Still primary research activity is considered more effective for it potentially endeavours to reflect on the marketing cond itions (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2008, p.246). Further the use of statistical operations is encouraged in regards to the research conducted for it helps in depicting the figurative aspects of the information gained through the interviews made. Statistical operations made in the form generating charts and diagrams make the research more practical as one can gain a complete understanding of the views gained and thereby helps in making an effective analysis. Statistical based research enhances the effectiveness of the research activity for it generates large amount of quantitative data and thereby enhances the understand ability of the research (Nunan, 1992, p.8). 1.2. Population and Sample Size The main focus of the research activity understands RyanAir’s dominance in the markets of Europe. Thus focus must be rendered over European based customers pertaining to various demographic sets like income, age and occupation patterns. Selection of the European population been done focus is rendered to identify specific target groups based on the

After reading a business article, Writing a summary and showing your Essay

After reading a business article, Writing a summary and showing your opinion in paper - Essay Example I believe in the fact that competitors are constantly looking to replicate any strategy of their opponent which proves to be thriving in the market. In order to tackle this threat and gain competitive advantage, it is imperative for a company to set apart its product from that of the adversaries through superior efficiency and yield. Productivity Frontier comprises of the total of all current top measures at any particular time and keeps on shifting externally with the arrival of latest technologies along with contemporary management tools. It is true that competition with respect to Operational Effectiveness moves the frontier outward for everyone, therefore resulting in no comparative improvement among the companies. Moreover, it tends to negate differentiation. The success of strategy lies on the exclusivity of the operations undertaken by the company. For instance, Southwest Airlines Company adopts a unique set of activities such as no meals, low cost, short distance services, et c. Similarly, Ikea, a worldwide furniture trader focuses on self-service system to distinguish its company. There are mainly three springs of origin of Strategic positions: Variety based, Need based and Activity based. Variety based positioning entails production of particular products and services in different manners similar to Jiffy Lube International which specializes in automotive lubricants. Need based positioning involves serving a particular group of customers like Ikea which usually aims at serving the young adults. Whereas Access based positioning segregates customers available in different ways such as rural and urban, to meet their specific needs with Carmlike Cinemas being a prime example of such a case. However, in order to maintain strategic positions, the need of tradeoffs becomes crucial as they help avoid Repositioning and Straddling, which are the two means of imitation for a company,

Moods of Poetry Essay Example for Free

Moods of Poetry Essay Poetry is a way of expression a speaker’s feelings and emotions into a literary work. All poems have unique tones and moods which show what the speaker feels when writing the poem, and what the reader feels when reading it. For example, â€Å"The Rhodora† by Ralph Waldo Emerson, â€Å"Sonnet XVII: Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?† by William Shakespeare, and â€Å"Song of Myself† by Walt Whitman, all have the similar mood of happiness and vitality. In â€Å"The Rhodora† by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the speaker finds a flower that is unique in beauty compared to the rest of nature. This poem is written loosely in iambic pentameter with a rhyme scheme of aabbcdcdeeffghgh. In line twelve the speaker states â€Å"Then beauty is its own excuse for Being;† meaning that the purpose of the flower is to show beauty, and nothing more. â€Å"The Rhodora† provides the reader with a mood that is happy and uplifting and gives the reader a more respectful view of nature. â€Å"Sonnet XVII: Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?† by William Shakespeare, is a sonnet which consists of 14 lines and is in one stanza. In line two the speaker writes â€Å"Thou art more lovely and more temperate†. The speaker is saying that she is more beautiful and gentle than anything he has ever seen. The speaker states that he loves her more than a summers day. The mood of this poem is uplifting and loving, making the reader happier.

Dialogue †Bitter Breakup :: Dialogue Conversation Essays

Dialogue – Bitter Breakup Oh, hi, honey... No, no, I'm fine, I was just expecting to get your machine. Aren't you usually at, like, hockey practice around now? Oh, right, you quit hockey to help with your dad's business. I forgot. Heh. No, I don't remember what you and Todd were talking about at lunch. Yeah, I'm sorry I wasn't paying much attention; my mind was thinking about something else. What? Oh, I don't know, I was probably thinking about a conversation I had with Natasha today. Sweetheart, I... What? Yeah, I totally hate Mr. Simmons, too. It is unfair that he only gave your essay 85%, but come on, I worked my ass off on my essay, and I only got 70% on it. And your topic wasn't all that interesting, to be honest. I mean, "Romeo and Juliet: A Tragedy of Unawareness"? More like a tragedy of Leo; how many movies does that marvelous creature have to die in? Anyway, I think that my essay was much more thought out: "Homeless People Are People, Too." I put a lot of work into it; I even made references to an article I read in People. Oh, I can hardly wait to go to New York this summer. The Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty, the Sears tower... What? Oh, that's sweet... Oh, yes, of course I'll miss you, too. I'm sorry, my mind must have drifted for a second. Yes, school is keeping me really busy. Can we talk for a second? Okay, I know we're already talking, but I mean seriously. Not just small talk. I mean it. Please? Okay, thanks. Um, well... It's that... Idon'tthinkweshouldseeeachotheranymore. I said, "I don't think we should see each other anymore." Because we're just different people. I know it sounds lame, but -- Don't be upset, we are different. And I've tried to deal with it; I really have. But you seem to think that you can just live your life without any responsibility, disrupt my life, my schoolwork, and my relationships with other people and --No, I don't mean other guys, I meant my friends and family, you idiot... I didn't mean that. I didn't, you're just not letting me finish. Can I finish? Thank you. It's just that you don't seem to think you need to put any work into this relationship. You think that I'll do everything and we'll be fine.

Cecilia Penifader: an Ordinary Peasant in Medieval Times Essay

Cecilia Penifader lived on the English manor of Brigstock in the early fourteenth century. She was not a princess nor was she of noble blood. She was, in fact, a peasant. While many people today would consider her poor and lowly just because of that title, she was actually rather successful in life and was one of the wealthier peasants of her time. Cecilia did not leave behind any personal writings, as most medieval peasants were illiterate, but her life has since been pieced together through the use of the archives of Brigstock. These archives reveal many aspects of Cecilia’s life. They tell us that she functioned as the head of a household, that she faced gender bias because she was only a woman, and that she led a family-oriented lifestyle. Cecilia went through life as a singlewoman, the term used by medieval peoples to describe women who never got married (Bennett 143). Because she never married, she was considered to be the head of her own household. She held many of the same rights that men had as heads of their households. She certainly had more freedom than her married sisters; a wife was completely dependent on her husband, who functioned as the head of the household (Bennett 115). As the head of her household, Cecilia could hold the title of an independent tenant of the manor. She was able to accumulate several acres of land throughout her lifetime, and she could buy and sell it as she pleased. By the time of her death, she had acquired an extensive amount of land and other possessions. Cecilia also had the ability to manage her household as she saw fit. This meant that it was necessary for her to organize her household and lands effectively in order to survive a less than favorable economy, especially during the periods of the Great Famine and the Black Death. Though Cecilia lacked a family to provide supportive labor to the household, she could usually manage her lands on her own because she chose to devote her land to the less labor-intensive practice of animal husbandry. If she did hire workers, it was probably only at certain times in the year so she could have help with plowing her property, cutting hay from her meadows, and harvesting her food (Bennett 98). To help ease labor demands of her household, Cecilia also bought goods from others in the commodity market. In this market, people could purchase almost anything that they were in need of (Bennett 94). Through what Bennett calls an â€Å"economy of makeshifts,† Cecilia was able to function effectively and make a suitable living for herself, without a husband. Despite Cecilia’s success as an independent head of the household, she still did not receive the same treatment in her community as men did. For example, when males turned twelve, they entered groups called tithings. These groups contained ten or more men who were responsible for making sure they all obeyed the laws, and if someone did not follow the laws, the other members of the group were responsible for making sure that the law-breaker showed up in court (Bennett 144). Cecilia could not be a part of these groups because of her gender. While few peasants ever learned to read or write, those that did were men. Cecilia would not have been given the opportunity that her brothers may have. Men also earned better wages than women did (Bennett 117). As a woman, Cecilia was unable to hold office or pledge in court, meaning that she could not stand in court to affirm that someone would do what he or she claimed. While this may not seem major, it actually prevented Cecilia from creating important networks throughout her community, and even from possibly accumulating income (Bennett 120). Cecilia may have been an independent woman in her community, but she still had close ties to her family throughout her entire life. When she was young, she obviously relied on her family, primarily her parents, to raise her and teach her important life skills. After her parents’ deaths, Cecilia often bought land that was next to those of her brothers or were near lands that they bought. With properties near each other, the Penifaders could help each other work on their lands (Bennett 80). Family was also important in court for Cecilia as well. Every time she did business in court, she needed a man to be a pledge and back her promise that she would pay the amount that she needed to pay. When she went to court on these occasions, she relied on her brothers or men that her brothers knew well to pledge for her (Bennett 81). In June of 1336, Cecilia and her brother Robert combined their resources and their households. Neither of them was married and they were both in the last few years of their lives. In combining their possessions, they supported each other and entrusted each other with their possessions when one of them died (Bennett 82). Before Cecilia died, she attempted to give some of her relatives who would not have originally had a part in her inheritance a twenty-four year lease on her lands. She chose to give her lands to those relatives whom she liked best. Although her wishes were not considered legitimate because she was not able to fulfill all the requirements to make the lease legally binding, this shows that she was trying to provide for her family and ensure that they would be cared for in the future (Bennett 85). Cecilia Penifader was certainly a prosperous peasant in fourteenth century European society. She successfully functioned as the head of her own household despite the many disadvantages of being a woman, and family was a major part of her life. While studying the history of someone like Cecilia Penifader may be interesting, studying the histories of exceptional male figures like kings, knights, and clergy reveal more about certain time periods than the histories of ordinary people. This is because the lives of ordinary people like Cecilia can often be generalized since there are so many people that live lives similar to one another. Exceptional people, on the other hand, are often persons who have exhibited qualities that are highly esteemed by people in that period or severely looked down upon. These cases may not be representative of society as a whole, but the fact that those stories are passed down over others reveals the values and general workings of the societies they came from .

Chapter 27 History Quiz

Megan Golden RDNG 4240-502 11-20 Assessment Idea Assessment is the ongoing, systematic collection of information on all students. Reading Assessment is one of the pillars of effective reading programs. Assessing reading skills can be very repetitive and can easily get boring. Many students dread to be tested especially the ones who struggle with reading. Finding new ways to assess students in reading will help not only you but more importantly the student.There are many different ideas in which you can assess a student in reading other than just by paper and pencil. There are many projects, games, and online software available. For my particular idea I chose to pick a game. I recently observed a classroom where the teacher used this particular game, and I realized how much the kids enjoyed the game while also learning. Dividing the class into a team to do a game is always a good idea because its take pressure off of weak readers.After dividing the class into two different teams, call on a student and hold up a flash card, then have the student pronounce the word. Make a tally mark each time the student pronounces the word correctly. By keeping up with who had more tally marks and rewarding the team who had more always helps encourage the children. Also while doing this activity, be sure to make note of any students who were struggling. By making these notes it will let you know which student needs assistance.

Biography of French Pirate François L’Olonnais

Biography of French Pirate Franà §ois L’Olonnais Franà §ois L’Olonnais (1635-1668) was a French buccaneer, pirate, and privateer who attacked ships and towns – mostly Spanish – in the 1660s. His hatred for the Spanish was legendary and he was known as a particularly bloodthirsty and ruthless pirate. His savage life came to a savage end: he was killed and reportedly eaten by cannibals somewhere in the Gulf of Darien. Franà §ois L’Olonnais, Buccaneer Francois LOlonnais was born in France sometime around 1635 in the seaside town of Les Sables-dOlonne (the Sands of Ollone). As a young man, he was taken to the Caribbean as an indentured servant. After having served his indenture, he made his way to the wilds of the island of Hispaniola, where he joined the famous buccaneers. These rough men hunted wild game in the jungles and cooked it over a special fire called a boucan (hence the name boucaniers, or buccaneers). They made a rough living by selling the meat, but they were also not above the occasional act of piracy. Young Franà §ois fit right in: he had found his home. A Cruel Privateer France and Spain fought frequently during L’Olonnais’ lifetime, most notably the 1667-1668 War of Devolution. The French Governor of Tortuga outfitted some privateering missions to attack Spanish ships and towns. Franà §ois was among the vicious buccaneers hired for these attacks, and he soon proved himself an able seaman and fierce fighter. After two or three expeditions, the Governor of Tortuga gave him his own ship. L’Olonnais, now a captain, continued attacking Spanish shipping and acquired a reputation for cruelty so great that the Spanish often preferred to die fighting than to suffer torture as one of his captives. A Close Escape L’Olonnais may have been cruel, but he was also clever. Sometime in 1667, his ship was destroyed off the western coast of the Yucatan. Although he and his men survived, the Spanish discovered them and massacred most of them. L’Olonnais rolled in blood and sand and lay still among the dead until the Spanish left. He then disguised himself as a Spaniard and made his way to Campeche, where the Spanish were celebrating the death of the hated L’Olonnais. He persuaded a handful of slaves to help him escape: together they made their way to Tortuga. L’Olonnais was able to get some men and two small ships there: he was back in business. The Maracaibo Raid The incident fanned LOlonnais hatred of the Spanish into a blaze. He sailed to Cuba, hoping to sack the town of Cayos: the Governor of Havana heard he was coming and sent a ten-gun warship to defeat him. Instead, LOlonnais and his men caught the warship unawares and captured it. He massacred the crew, leaving alive only one man to carry a message back to the Governor: no quarter for any Spaniards LOlonnais encountered. He returned to Tortuga and in September of 1667 he took a small fleet of 8 ships and attacked the Spanish towns around Lake Maracaibo. He tortured the prisoners to make them tell him where they had hidden their treasure. The raid was a huge score for LOlonnais, who was able to split some 260,000 Pieces-of-eight among his men. Soon, it was all spent in the taverns and whorehouses of Port Royal and Tortuga. L’Olonnais’ Final Raid In early 1668, L’Olonnais was ready to return to the Spanish Main. He rounded up some 700 fearsome buccaneers and set sail. They plundered along the Central American coast and even marched inland to sack San Pedro in present-day Honduras. In spite of his ruthless questioning of prisoners – on one instance he ripped out a captive’s heart and gnawed on it – the raid was a failure. He captured a Spanish galleon off of Trujillo, but there was not much loot. His fellow captains decided the venture was a bust and left him alone with his own ship and men, of which there were about 400. They sailed south but were shipwrecked off of Punta Mono. The Death of Franà §ois L’Olonnais L’Olonnais and his men were tough buccaneers, but once shipwrecked they were battled constantly by the Spanish and the local natives. The number of survivors dwindled steadily. L’Olonnais attempted an attack on the Spanish up the San Juan River, but they were repulsed. L’Olonnais took a handful of survivors with him and set sail on a small raft they had built, heading south. Somewhere in the Gulf of Darien these men were attacked by natives. Only one man survived: according to him, L’Olonnais was captured, hacked to pieces, cooked over a fire and eaten. Legacy of Franà §ois L’Olonnais LOlonnais was very well known in his time, and greatly feared by the Spanish, who understandably loathed him. He would probably be better known today if he had not been closely followed in history by Henry Morgan, Greatest of the Privateers, who was, if anything, even harder on the Spanish. Morgan would, in fact, take a page from LOlonnais book in 1668 when he raided the still-recovering Lake Maracaibo. One other difference: whereas Morgan was beloved by the English who saw him as a hero (he was even knighted), Franà §ois LOlonnais was never greatly revered in his native France. LOlonnais serves as a reminder of the reality of piracy: unlike what the movies show, he was no noble prince looking to clear his good name, but a sadistic monster who thought nothing of mass murder if it gained him an ounce of gold. Most real pirates were more like LOlonnais, who found that being a good sailor and charismatic leader with a vicious streak could get him far in the world of piracy. Sources: Exquemalin, Alexandre. The Buccaneers of America. Online edition from the Harvard University Library.Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: the Lyons Press, 2009

Collision and Collusion

Collision and Collusion Collision and Collusion Collision and Collusion By Maeve Maddox A philosophical question from a reader prompts this post: I find it very interesting how collision is so close to collusion, considering the strange financial shenanigans that occur in that business [insurance and collision repair].   What is the background of these two words?   Are they actually related in any way? Clearly, the reader has had less fortunate experiences with insurance companies and collision repair centers than I have. The only connection between collision and collusion that I can discern is the prefix col-, which is a rendering of the Latin preposition cum (with). In English words, cum has produced the prefixes com-, con-, and col-. These prefixes convey the idea of â€Å"together, together with, in combination or union.† For example, the noun companion combines com- with panis (bread). A companion is â€Å"a person to eat bread with.† Sharing a meal with someone is often a sign of intimacy. Collision comes from the verb collide (col + laedere). The Latin verb laedere means â€Å"to injure† or â€Å"to damage.† When things collide, they strike or clash together. Collusion comes from the verb collude (col + ludere), The Latin verb ludere means, â€Å"to play.† When people collude, they â€Å"play† together. The kind of play meant here is not the friendly kind. It’s the deceptive activity implied in the expressions â€Å"to play at,† â€Å"to play one false,† and â€Å"to play into someone’s hands.† Collision is â€Å"the violent encounter of a moving body with another.† On the street, a collision usually involves vehicles. In physics, particles collide. Both collision and collide are used figuratively to indicate a clash of wills. The noun collision may also be used attributively (i.e., to modify another noun). Here are examples of usage: Both of the Washington State Patrol troopers injured in collisions Sunday night near Northgate have been released from the hospital. Two Metro-North Railroad trains collided after a derailment near Fairfield, Conn., at the height of the evening rush on Friday. Somalia: What happens when political and humanitarian goals collide? Global Markets and National Politics: Collision Course or Virtuous Circle? Collusion is a secret agreement for purposes of trickery or fraud. In law, collusion is an agreement between two or more parties for the purpose of defrauding others or to gain an unfair market advantage, for example, price-fixing and inside trading. Here are some recent headlines: Big Tech Companies Agree To Pay Up Over Hiring Collusion Shell and BP accused of collusion in South Africa How Hospitals and Health Insurers Collude at Your Expense Business and Government Collude over Education Policy and Funding Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating Conjunctions50 Nautical Terms in General Use20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays

Film analysis comparing The Ice Storm and Do The Right Thing Essay

Film analysis comparing The Ice Storm and Do The Right Thing - Essay Example Some of those visions are more correct than others; some of them are more cynical than others. The Ice Storm and Do the Right Thing are two unforgiving glimpses at what can happen when proprieties fall to the side; watching them makes me feel as though all of the horrid visions that Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville had for modernity, when they were so outraged by the notions of Transcendentalism and Romanticism that their quills virtually skied across the parchment, have all come to pass. It is the detail, as usual, that sets these two films above many of their contemporaries, in terms of expressing their vision of the way we are – or at least the way we shouldnt be. The Ice Storm shows director Ang Lees usual flair for the extremely precise, in terms of dà ©cor and set. The G.I. Joe doll, sitting askew and yelling â€Å"May Day! May Day!† is just one symbol of the existential chaos that has ensued in the years leading up to Thanksgiving, 1973. The music and dà ©cor take one back to the era of The Streets of San Francisco or Hawaii Five-O, all the way down to such details as the trendy water bed that Sigourney Weavers character sleeps on, the Philip Roth novel she is reading, and even the metal ice tray that Kevin Klines character empties each night. The architecture follows suit, with the modern glass walls that came into vogue in those days keeping the families inside during the ice storm – but able to see the entire thing. While The Ice Storm is an analysis of an era – the days around Watergate – Do the Right Thing is an analysis of a vicious racial incident in Brooklyn – the Howard Beach attack on a group of black youths. While The Ice Storm is eerily quiet at times, Do the Right Thing hums with noise – not just the militant rap tunes by Public Enemy and other artists, but there is also the sound of urban life, piped into the movie virtually from beginning to end. It is as though director Spike Lee knows how sound can

HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

HISTORY - Essay Example The revolutionaries, who were driven by the urge to attain sovereignty, had several advantages over their enemies. This was due to the fact that they had a wide knowledge on the geography of their surroundings as they were fighting on their home grounds and as such they were able to plan on their attacks and also to escape from their attackers (Harvey 2005 p 65). Due to their large numbers and the will to survive, the revolutionaries were able to offer high resistance to the army which had fewer personnel though well equipped. This was enhanced by the uprisings that came from different sides diverting the attention of the military which resulted to the army distributing the few soldiers they had across a wide area weakening their defense. Reinforcement for the soldiers took long since they had to be ferried from their home countries while that of the patriots was readily available and this strengthened their defense and attack mechanisms (Harvey 2005 p 78). The revolutionaries also had a well organized army which was unified and with a lot of support. They also had generals who were capable of making good decisions that minimized chances of landing into unnecessary trouble out of poor risk evaluation. However, there were some short comings that arose from their ill equipped forces who could not match the equipment of their enemies. Their supply of ammunition was limited unlike the military which had constant supply of food and ammunition from their government (Harvey 2005 p 102). This resulted to high numbers of casualties and deaths on the side of the revolutionaries. They also lacked the skills to match those of the military due to their poor training, which resulted to caress mistakes that gave the military an opportunity to seize and manage to kill them. They were also disadvantaged by the lack of food to sustain them while in the