Mike Laird

Mike Laird is an education author and co-developer of the Fundamental 5 framework for effective classroom instruction, created with co-author Sean Cain. He is the co-author of The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction, first published in 2011, which outlines five core teaching practices—framing the lesson, working in the “power zone,” frequent small-group purposeful talk, recognizing and reinforcing student success, and writing critically—aimed at improving instructional rigor, relevance, and student performance.

Laird is also a co-author of The Fundamental 5 Revisited: Exceptional Instruction In Every Setting, published in 2021, which expands on the original model and provides practical strategies to help teachers implement the five high-yield instructional practices with fidelity across diverse classroom settings. These works have been adopted by schools and districts as professional development resources to support teacher growth and enhance instructional quality.