By Mary Ruth Johnsen Editor’s Note Dear Readers, My mother taught elementary school for more than 40 years. At one time or another she taught every grade except kindergarten, although fourth and fifth grades were her main bailiwick. It was not an easy job. I know that firsthand because during my early twenties, I did some substitute teaching. My mom loved to relate the story of coming home to find me sprawled on my bed, sound asleep from exhaustion after my first day as a sub. One thing I always admired about my mother was that she was constantly utilizing new techniques in her classroom. That was true up to and through her final year of teaching. The subjects might have stayed the same, but she was always looking for a better way to deliver the information to her students. That made me believe she was a really fine teacher; a belief confirmed through her students’ achievement test scores and reading level assessments. I don’t know about you, but I had some teachers, especially in high school, who taught the same subject the exact same way year after year. In their classrooms, the only way you could have guessed whether it was 1969, 1989, or 2009 would be through the students’ clothing styles, because what those teachers did never changed. And I bet it’s no surprise that they weren’t the best teachers at the school. So what does all that have to do with being a CWI? Well, I believe the best performers at any job are always trying to better themselves and trying to find new ways to do their jobs better. My guess is that if you’re a CWI who holds more than one certification, who attends conferences and seminars, who participates in your local AWS Section activities, who reads the latest literature about products and processes, or, yes, who reads this magazine cover to cover, then you’re probably one of the best inspectors around. Trying something new — and which quite possibly could fail — is hard. It’s a lot easier, and far less nerve-wracking, to do what you’ve always done. But does that advance your profession or you personally in your career? I know change is intimidating. This is true with my own job. You see, I’m used to and quite fond of black type on white paper. But I’m working in an era of e-readers, social media, and mobile phone apps. If I’m going to get the information you need to you in the way you need it, I better prove myself to be my mother’s daughter. What about you? Are you Mr. or Ms. Same Old/Same Old Inspector or are you Mr. or Ms. Lead the Way? If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at (800) 443-9353, ext. 238, or mjohnsen@aws.org. I look forward to hearing from you — Mary Ruth Johnsen. 6 Inspection Trends / April 2011 Publisher Andrew Cullison cullison@aws.org Editor Mary Ruth Johnsen mjohnsen@aws.org Associate Editor Howard Woodward woodward@aws.org Associate Editor Kristin Campbell kcampbell@aws.org Production Manager Zaida Chavez zaida@aws.org Senior Production Coordinator Brenda Flores bflores@aws.org National Sales Director Rob Saltzstein salty@aws.org Advertising Sales Representative Lea Garrigan Badwy garrigan@aws.org Senior Advertising Production Manager Frank Wilson fwilson@aws.org Subscriptions Representative Edalia Suarez esuarez@aws.org American Welding Society 550 NW LeJeune Rd. Miami, FL 33126 (800/305) 443-9353 Copyright Copyright © 2011 by American Welding Society in both printed and electronic formats. The Society is not responsible for any statement made or opinion expressed herein. Data and information developed by the authors of specific articles are for informational purposes only and are not intended for use without independent, substantiating investigation on the part of potential users.
Inspection Trends - April 2011 - Spring
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