Meet Collin Katainen ’14 MAE. Collin is a member of the Augsburg Alumni Board.
What keeps you busy these days? What are you doing for work and for play?
Occupying hockey rinks with my two children in the winter, my son is a Peewee goalie, my daughter a 10U forward; in the summer we love spending time at our cabin up north. I went on to get my Educational Specialist degree and am a high school principal for a private school in St. Louis Park. I also coach and mentor new teachers as a consultant with a professional development company called Northshore Learning. While a student at Augsburg, I also acquired my real estate license and have been working as a Realtor ever since; it’s a fun profession and pairs nicely with an educator’s schedule.
Who or what is something or someone that motivates you? My family, friends and students are influences, each in their own way help motivate, challenge and humble me in ways that keep me grounded. I have come to learn the importance of a work/life balance and the need to break away from life’s responsibilities and just stop, sit in nature and listen to the world around you.
What makes you excited to give back to Augsburg as an Alumni? Or, what inspires you to give to Augsburg? As an educator, anytime I can help shape the future outcome of a situation or opportunity where my experiences or knowledge improves or makes life easier for someone else is a win. I hope I can find a way to improve the Augsburg experience for any student as an alumni resource.
Who is an Auggie (alumni, faculty/staff, friend, etc.) that inspires you or that has impacted you and why?
Along with the many great courses and instructors who were always willing to spend time sharing their experiences; I always found Anne Kaufman, Ph.D. Professor Emerita and Co-Director, Augsburg Paideia Program (Retired) to have had the greatest impact on my successes in the classroom. Even after graduating, when I was a young teacher, Dr. Kaufman would be a sounding board as I tried to incorporate Paideia into my lessons.
If you are unfamiliar, Paideia (pie DAY a) is a pedagogy that encourages student-centered, democratic discussions around a common text. Paideia principles surround the idea that the primary cause of genuine learning is the activity of the learner’s own mind, sometimes with the help of a teacher functioning as a secondary and cooperative cause; that the three types of teaching that should occur in our schools are didactic teaching of subject matter, coaching that produces the skills of learning, and Socratic questioning in seminar discussion.
The annual Paideia Summer Institute held in July at Augsburg University is a great course to take for anyone in the education field.
Thank you, Collin!
Auggie Spotlight is a project that features Augsburg Alumni in all walks of life, and further connections in our Augsburg Alumni community. If you would like to be in the spotlight, or if you’d like to nominate another alumni, please fill out this form.