Canora Composite School is welcoming a number of new teachers for the 2022/23 school year, including Robin Kapitoler, who will be instructing the welding program, as well as building construction and carpentry.
Kapitoler was born and raised in Winnipeg, where he also gained his first eight years of teaching experience. He said his interest in teaching began to blossom toward the end of his high school years. It was probably a contributing factor that his mother was also a teacher.
The training for his chosen profession included two years at the University of Manitoba and at Red River College.
“My previous teaching experience is varied,” said Kapitoler. “I taught electronic technology and residential house wiring for five years in Winnipeg. After getting married, my wife and I travelled to Taiwan to teach English. After 18 months we returned, but decided to make Saskatchewan our home, to have our first child.”
Like most teachers, Kapitoler has felt the effects of the pandemic.
“COVID-19 made my teaching much more challenging and much less rewarding because of the absence of face-to-face in-class experience. I was teaching an elementary classroom at that time.”
He hopes his students continue to reap the benefits of his instruction long after their high school days are over.
“It has always been my intention to have all my students gain a level of experience in the trades and trade-related skills to better equip them for the real world,” shared Kapitoler. “I believe our society places too much emphasis on university-based post-secondary education and not enough on the trades.”
Kapitoler lives in Canora with his wife Naomi (Leson) and their two daughters, who are in grades 10 and 8. Naomi is originally from Canora, the daughter of Wilf and Adeline Leson.
Robin enjoys a variety of hobbies, including outdoor family activities.
“I like to go camping and canoeing with the family, as well as woodworking. I took mechanics in high school and would like to turn that knowledge into a hobby one day as I am getting away from motorcycling for now,” he concluded.
