NEWS
Eclipse Award commentary: Confessions of a first-time voter
Posted: Saturday, January 01, 2011 8:51 PM
by Teresa Genaro
In more than 20 years in the classroom, I’ve assessed thousands of pieces of student work. Most teachers will tell you that grading is among their least favorite elements of a job that is—for the most part—pretty fun.
Grading isn’t fun because it takes time to do it right, because it’s stressful for students (and teachers), and because there’s nearly always an element of subjectivity to it. Grading is tough, slippery business.
When I was a relatively young teacher, my principal asked me how I distinguished a “B” paper from an “A” paper. “’A’ papers,” I said, “make me say, ‘Wow.’”
She looked at me kindly and skeptically. “And how,” she asked, “are students supposed to know what makes you say ‘Wow’”?
She had a point.
Over the years, I’ve written, revised, and discarded dozens of rubrics to assess writing; the one I use now is a big chart with tiny print outlining four levels of accomplishment across six or seven elements of a paper (purpose, development, quality of writing, etc.). I use it to assess each element of a student’s work and synthesize the results to determine a grade. The rubric makes me specify what I’m assessing, and it offers students, who get a copy of it, a description of the expectations of the assignment and a rationale for how I assessed the work.
Hey, Eclipse Awards … can I get a rubric?
As I’ve expressed at Brooklyn Backstretch, I don’t put a lot of stock in awards. In many ways, they’re like grades: of limited long-term value, a fleeting assessment of something complex, causing anxiety to many and delight to few. That said, as a new member of the National Association of Turf Writers and Broadcasters, I get an Eclipse ballot, and as grading is in my teaching life, voting in my writing life is a responsibility that deserves serious consideration.
The ballot helpfully comes with a list of possible candidates for each award, along with past performances and background; the list is not comprehensive (Switch, for instance, worthy of consideration as a top three-year-old filly, is not included), but it’s a start.
What the ballot does not—unhelpfully—come with are any criteria for any award. Sure, there are historical practices, traditions, precedents, but as I sit here with my ballot, I feel like both student and teacher: the student who’s not sure what the assignment is (What are the guidelines? Where are the instructions? How will I know if I did it right?); the teacher who’s wondering which of the entrants in each category has earned an “A”, a “B”, a “C”, and who isn’t sure what elements of each performance are supposed to be assessed. Where, oh, Eclipse Awards, is my rubric?
I could channel my mature teacher self and make up a list of criteria that reflect my racing priorities, and I could use a rubric to assess the candidates. Or I could revert to my younger teacher self and ask, “Which of these horses/humans made me say ‘Wow’?” Unlike the classroom, Eclipse voting would seem to support either approach.
I still have a few days to finalize my selections. Like my students, I may just wait until the last minute to submit my choices, hoping for inspiration and clarity. In that first year of teaching, a long time ago, I made a lot of mistakes, and I often cringe when I look back at some of those practices. Let’s hope that in 20 years, I don’t look back at this ballot the same way.
The 40th annual Eclipse Awards are January 17 in Miami Beach, Florida. The NTWAB, Daily Racing Form, and National Thoroughbred Racing Association are the three voting blocs to determine winners. Ballots are due Tuesday with finalists announced the following day.
Teresa Genaro is a Brooklyn-based correspondent of Thoroughbred Times. She blogs at BrooklynBackstretch.com and tweets as @Bklynbckstretch
READER COMMENTS
|
|
|
Posted by: Handicapper, Inglewood, CA on January 04, 2011 at 07:43 AM
Don't fret people, everything that is going on is just a formality to hype up the Eclipe's Award's, the HOTY was settled back at Hollywood Park when Queen Zenyatta won the Ladies Secret. Blame did-not travel nor did he win as many G1's as Zenyatta, he did-not tote 129lbs in any of his race's, Zenyatta traveled to Hot Spring's Ark. for the Apple Blossom and to Churchill Down's for the B.C.Classic. We all saw the Classic and we all saw that Zenyatta was a better horse than Blame, if it were not for the bad ride Zenyatta received that day she would have won by open length's. This debate about Blame winning is nonsense, he got lucky to win the race, he did-not win because he was better than Zenyatta he won because of rider error on Mike Smith's part, he cost Zenyatta the victory. The best horse did-not win that day, if you saw the race you know that to be true. Zenyatta is the Horse Of The Year for 2010 no question. Let's hope she does-not get ROBBED two year's in a row, that would be a big shame for horse racing and the racing fan's if she was not honored as racing best for 2010.....JMO <\_~
Report Abuse 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by: Jack, Balitmore, MD on January 04, 2011 at 02:48 AM
Assuming that Zenyatta and Blame are the only 2 candidates for 2010 HOY? The bottom line, IMO, is this. Both horses had incredible seasons. Both worthy of high praise. But both were beaten once each in 2010. Blame was well beaten in the JCGC at Belmont. Pretty handily thrashed by Hanyesfield, and a field that while very good, doesn't remotely compare to the Breeders Cup Classic field. Which is where Zenyatta was defeated. By the slimmest of slim margins. Against a colt that's been unbeatable at Churchill Downs. Weighing both of those factors, I think Zenyatta get's the edge for 2010 HOY. TJMO.
Report Abuse
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by: John, Somerset, KY on January 03, 2011 at 06:40 PM
Being a huge Zenyatta fan, and recognizing the greatness that she's shown in the sport, I truly hope that Zenyatta is recognized at least once in her career as HOY. It would almost be shameful for American eclipse award voters to say the greatest thoroughbred of this decade, and one of the all-time American greats, male or female, was never recognized as HOY. 19 wins and 1 second in 20 lifetime starts. The lone second being a loss by 6 inches that would've made her the first horse since Tiznow to win back to back Classics. Blame is an incredible colt. But he was also defeated in the JCGC. Much more convincingly beaten than Zenyatta was. JMO.
Report Abuse
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by: Virgil, Los Angeles, CA on January 03, 2011 at 04:39 PM
Sports Illustrated Top 10 Female Racehorses of All Time: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1011/top-10-female-race-horses-all-time/content.10.html
Report Abuse
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by: Jena, Hobert, NC on January 03, 2011 at 02:21 PM
Every detractor of Zenyatta ask, "Who did she beat?" Well all the horses in her division are constantly put down, mainly because of "The West Coast" bias factor. Those mares went on to be GII and GI winners. She also beat a better field last year in the BCC. She ran on 4 diffrent types of synthtic tracks and dirt twice. Curlin was fourth in his BCC but got HOY anyway. Lack of criteria is a big dark hole that racing needs to fix. Quality Road set a couple of records. He got beat by Blame but had a better year than Blame. He could have never done what Zenyatta did facing the obstacles she had. I don't understand people that do not like Zenyatta though there only seem to be a few. Zenyatta HOY and older female. Uncle Mo two year old, Gio Ponti turf horse. It is very easy. Wish I could vote.
Report Abuse
|
|
|
|
|
|
