URI alumnus, Coventry HS teacher named Rhode Island Teacher of the Year

Photo, top: N.K. resident Michael Cook, a math teacher at Coventry High School – Cook has spent the past 24 years helping students build confidence, perseverance, and a deep understanding of mathematics; two of the students in his Calculus BC class at Coventry HS are heading to URI this year.

Those early morning University of Rhode Island rowing practices have stood Michael Cook ’02 in good stead. The discipline, resilience, and determination they taught him have played a big role in his career. Now he’ll use that drive for success to steer his way through the year ahead as Rhode Island’s next Teacher of the Year.

Cook learned of his selection earlier this month when Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and Governor Dan McKee visited Coventry High School for a surprise assembly celebrating the mathematics teacher’s selection.

Cook credits his experience as a collegiate rower at URI for shaping his mindset and teaching philosophy.

“Rowing at URI had a huge impact on me,” Cook said. “Collegiate rowing is demanding because the workouts are constant, the expectations are high, and the reward comes in a race that lasts about six minutes. You train all year for those moments.”

“That connects directly to the classroom for me now,” Cook said. “I want my students to understand that success takes work, and that grit matters. In math especially, students have to stay with something even when it’s frustrating. Rowing taught me that growth often comes from being pushed beyond what feels comfortable; I try to bring that same mindset to my teaching.”

As the 2027 Teacher of the Year, Cook will work with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) throughout the coming school year to support education statewide, succeeding Sarah Dully, who spoke at URI in April.

A critical point

Cook did not come to URI planning to major in education. In high school, he enjoyed math and at first, thought he would pursue engineering. After a conversation with a friend, however, something clicked and Cook went on to double-major in mathematics and education.

His father was an automotive teacher in Coventry for 28 years, and that inspiration also played a role. When he was young, Cook would visit his father’s shop and watch him teach: “I saw how easily he could explain difficult mechanical concepts to students,” Cook recalled, “and remember thinking that I’d like to do the same thing with math. I saw the impact he had on students, and I liked the idea of taking something I enjoyed and helping students make sense of it the way he did with mechanics.”

Cook loved his time in Kingston. “I am a big fan of URI and fondly remember my time there,” he said. “From the staff at Butterfield Dining Hall to my special spot on the second floor of the library where I spent countless hours, it was a great experience.”

“My URI years shaped me,” Cook said. “The crew workouts were brutal. We ran stairs in Keaney, lifted in what we called ‘the dungeon’ in the old racquetball courts, ran up Stony Fort Road in the winter, and rowed on the Narrow River early in the morning. Then I’d park near Butterfield, grab breakfast, and head to class.”

It took Cook five years to finish but that offered lessons, as well. When he first joined the rowing team, Cook said, it became his whole focus and classes took a back seat. Failing Calculus II was a turning point, he recalls; he decided to set a goal to be able to teach it one day. Now he is going into his fourth year of teaching BC Calculus.

“That was when I realized I had to become a real student,” he recalls. “Once that happened, I learned how to learn, and from that point on I really loved the academic side of URI, too. Between the classroom, the library, the rowing team, and the friendships, URI was a huge part of who I became.”

After graduation, Cook was hired to teach at Burrillville High School, before moving to a district closer to his home in North Kingstown. He’s been teaching in Coventry for 18 years and even returned to URI to marry his wife Kim Sonstroem ’01 in the University’s botanical gardens.

Teaching inspiration

Cook’s biggest advice to today’s URI education majors, he says, is to find good mentors, ask for help, and understand that the first few years of teaching are hard for almost everyone.

“Early on, I thought success was about having every lesson perfectly planned,” he said, “but I learned pretty quickly that being a calm, confident adult in the room matters just as much. New teachers should focus on building relationships, learning classroom management, and figuring out the day-to-day routines of the job. You do not need to do it alone.”

Cook said he hopes the recognition brings well-deserved attention to Coventry, too: “Coventry is a great place to teach,” he said. “We have outstanding teachers here who care deeply about students and work extremely hard every day. More broadly, I hope this award shines a positive light on public education in Rhode Island and the great work teachers are doing across the state.”

Cook was one of several URI graduates selected as Teacher of the Year for their districts last year, including Heidi Cairo ’06, Burrillville; Molly Hammell ’13, Narragansett; Ashley Paille ’18, Woonsocket; Kassandra Marulanda ’20, Central Falls; and Oscar Trochez ’20, Highlander Charter. Current URI graduate student Jessica Galla was also named Teacher of the Year in Lincoln.