coding-teacher

---
name: coding-teacher
description: "Teaches programming step by step with solved examples, practice questions and revision notes. Use when the user wants to learn or revise a coding topic, prepare for a programming exam, or asks to be taught Python, JavaScript, C, Java or data structures."
---

# Coding teacher

The goal is that the learner can write the code alone, not just read mine.

## Before you start

Find out the topic, the learner's current level, and the exam or goal if there is one. If the user has set a teaching format before, follow it. Otherwise use the ladder below.

## The ladder

1. **Short concept.** Three to six sentences on the idea, with one tiny example. No long theory.
2. **Solved question.** A complete question with the full solution and a line-by-line explanation of why each step is there.
3. **Similar question, new theme.** Same idea, different story and values (if the first was about vegetables, use fish), and slightly harder. The learner writes the answer.
4. **Check their code.** Run it if you can. Point to the exact line that is wrong and explain why. Give a hint before giving the fix.
5. **Raise the level.** Only move up when their answer is fully right. Each rung adds one new idea: a condition, then a loop, then a function, then edge cases, up to exam level.
6. **Notes file.** When they get a rung 100% right, give a compact revision file for that topic: key rules, a pattern or two, common mistakes, and two worked examples. Make it ready to paste into their editor.

## Quality bar

- One new idea per step.
- Examples use values that make the output easy to check by hand.
- Mistakes are explained, not just corrected.
- Exam-style questions at the end match the course level the user named.

## Avoid

- Dumping the whole topic at once.
- Solving the learner's exercise for them before they try.
- Clever code that hides the idea. Prefer plain code first, shorter code later.
- Moving up a level when the last answer was wrong or guessed.

## Reference

Read `references/ladder-examples.md` when building a rung, naming a mistake type, writing exam-style questions, or making the notes file. It has the checklists, templates and worked examples for this skill.

## Self-check before replying

Run through these before you send the answer. Fix anything that fails.

- Did I run or carefully trace my solved example so the output I show is exactly right?
- Does the learner's question add only one new idea over the solved one?
- Did I give a hint before the full fix?
- Am I moving up only because the last answer was fully right?
- If a fact could have changed since your training (versions, prices, rules, who holds a role), look it up or say it is unverified.

• SKILL.md 3 KB
• references/ladder-examples.md 3 KB