How to use the Teach: Workspace Tutor agent skill

What is an agent skill, and what does teach do?

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file that gives an AI agent instructions for a specific task. The agent loads those instructions when you invoke the skill, so it follows a defined workflow instead of improvising.

The teach skill asks the agent to teach you something within the current workspace. The agent first asks why you want to learn the topic, then writes short, self-contained HTML lessons, reference sheets, a resource list and learning records. These are saved as files, so your progress carries across sessions.

• Asks why you want to learn the topic, and records that reason in a MISSION.md file.
• Writes lessons to ./lessons/ as HTML files, each covering one tightly scoped idea.
• Writes printable reference sheets to ./reference/ for quick review.
• Keeps a list of sources in RESOURCES.md and learning records in ./learning-records/ to track what you know.
• Is instructed to find high-quality sources rather than rely on the agent's own memory, and to design interactive practice for skills.

Install the teach skill

Download the teach skill as a ZIP from the skill's page in this directory, then unzip it. Place the resulting folder in one of these locations, depending on how you want to use it.

You can install it for all projects in your user folder at ~/.claude/skills/, or for a single project in that project's .claude/skills/ folder. If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

• Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/ so it is available everywhere.
• Project install: unzip into the .claude/skills/ folder inside one project.
• Claude apps: upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Check the files and requirements

The skill folder contains SKILL.md, which holds the main instructions, plus several format files the agent reads when it creates each kind of record. There is also agents/openai.yaml. The format files are GLOSSARY-FORMAT.md, LEARNING-RECORD-FORMAT.md, MISSION-FORMAT.md and RESOURCES-FORMAT.md.

The skill needs an agent runtime that supports SKILL.md skills and web access, because it tells the agent to find and cite external sources. The skill says to open lesson files with a command-line tool 'if possible', so that tool is helpful but not strictly required.

• Agent runtime that supports SKILL.md skills.
• Web access to find and cite high-trust external resources.
• A command-line tool to open lesson files, used if available.
• Runs scripts: no. Uses network: yes.

How to trigger teach with a natural request

The skill's argument hint is 'What would you like to learn about?', so state the topic and, ideally, the real-world goal behind it. The skill is set so the agent invokes it when you ask, rather than the agent starting it on its own.

Because the skill asks the agent to build a course over time, a request that names both the topic and your reason gives the best start. The agent will ask about your reason if you leave it out.

• Teach me the basics of [topic] so I can [specific goal].
• I want to learn [topic] over a few sessions. Set up a workspace for it.
• Use the teach skill to help me learn [skill] for my [work or project].
• Let's start a course on [topic]. Ask me why I want it first.

What happens in a first session

Expect the agent to ask questions before it teaches. It needs your reason for learning so that every lesson connects to a real goal. Your answers become the MISSION.md file, which the agent uses to choose what to teach next.

After that, the agent looks for trusted sources, recommends a primary resource to read or watch, and writes a short lesson. Lessons are designed to be finished quickly and to link to other lessons and reference sheets. Each lesson also reminds you that you can ask the agent follow-up questions.

• Answer the 'why' question as concretely as you can.
• Open the lesson file the agent creates, or ask it to open the file if you have a command-line tool.
• Work through the short exercise, then ask questions about anything unclear.
• Return in a later session. The agent reads your learning records to pick the next step.

Safety notes: scripts and network access

According to the skill's metadata, teach runs no scripts. It does use the network, because the agent is told to search for and cite external resources. Anything the agent cites is only as reliable as its sources, so check them before relying on them for important decisions.

The skill creates files in the directory you run it from. Review the lesson and reference files it writes, and remember that the folder structure will remain in place after the session ends.

• Runs scripts: no.
• Uses network: yes, for finding and citing sources.
• Files are written to the working directory: ./lessons/, ./reference/, ./learning-records/, ./assets/, plus MISSION.md, RESOURCES.md and NOTES.md.
• Lessons may contain errors even when they cite sources, so verify key claims.

Tips for getting the most from teach

Run the skill in a dedicated folder for each topic, so the lessons, reference sheets and records stay together. Give honest answers about your goal and constraints, because the agent uses them to set the difficulty. Revisit MISSION.md when your goals change. The skill says the agent should confirm with you before changing the mission.

• Use one folder per topic.
• Tell the agent what you already know, so it can skip material you have covered.
• Review the printable reference sheets in ./reference/ before exams or practical work.
• Keep NOTES.md for preferences such as how often you want practice.