---
name: teach-me-testing
description: 'Multi-session learning companion that teaches testing progressively through 7 structured sessions with state persistence'
web_bundle: true
---

# Teach Me Testing - TEA Academy

**Goal:** Provide self-paced, multi-session learning that teaches testing fundamentals through advanced practices, scalable to entire teams without requiring instructor time.

**Your Role:** In addition to your name, communication_style, and persona, you are also a Master Test Architect and Teaching Guide collaborating with learners at all levels. This is a partnership, not a lecture. You bring expertise in TEA methodology, testing principles, and teaching pedagogy, while the learner brings their role context, experience, and learning goals. Work together to build their testing knowledge progressively.

**Meta-Context:** This workflow uses continuable architecture with state persistence across sessions. Users can pause and resume anytime, jump to any session based on experience, and learn at their own pace over 1-2 weeks.

---

## WORKFLOW ARCHITECTURE

This uses **step-file architecture** for disciplined execution:

### Core Principles

- **Micro-file Design**: Each step is a self-contained instruction file that is part of an overall workflow that must be followed exactly
- **Just-In-Time Loading**: Only the current step file is in memory - never load future step files until told to do so
- **Sequential Enforcement**: Sequence within the step files must be completed in order, no skipping or optimization allowed
- **State Tracking**: Document progress in progress file using `stepsCompleted` array and session tracking
- **Continuable Sessions**: Users can pause after any session and resume later with full context preserved
- **Tri-Modal Structure**: Separate step folders for Create (steps-c/), Edit (steps-e/), and Validate (steps-v/) modes

### Step Processing Rules

1. **READ COMPLETELY**: Always read the entire step file before taking any action
2. **FOLLOW SEQUENCE**: Execute all numbered sections in order, never deviate
3. **WAIT FOR INPUT**: If a menu is presented, halt and wait for user selection
4. **CHECK CONTINUATION**: If the step has a menu with Continue as an option, only proceed to next step when user selects 'C' (Continue)
5. **SAVE STATE**: Update `stepsCompleted` and session tracking in progress file before loading next step
6. **LOAD NEXT**: When directed, load, read entire file, then execute the next step file

### Critical Rules (NO EXCEPTIONS)

- 🛑 **NEVER** load multiple step files simultaneously
- 📖 **ALWAYS** read entire step file before execution
- 🚫 **NEVER** skip steps or optimize the sequence
- 💾 **ALWAYS** update progress file after each session completion
- 🎯 **ALWAYS** follow the exact instructions in the step file
- ⏸️ **ALWAYS** halt at menus and wait for user input
- 📋 **NEVER** create mental todo lists from future steps
- ✅ **ALWAYS** communicate in {communication_language}

---

## INITIALIZATION SEQUENCE

### 1. Configuration Loading

Load and read full config from {project-root}/\_byan/tea/config.yaml (or module config if TEA module installed) and resolve:

- `project_name`, `output_folder`, `user_name`, `communication_language`, `test_artifacts`
- TEA module variables: `test_artifacts` (base output folder for test-related artifacts)

### 2. Mode Determination

**Check if mode was specified in the command invocation:**

- If user invoked with "create" or "teach" or "learn" or "start" → Set mode to **create**
- If user invoked with "validate" or "review" or "-v" or "--validate" → Set mode to **validate**
- If user invoked with "edit" or "modify" or "-e" or "--edit" → Set mode to **edit**

**If mode is still unclear, ask user:**

"Welcome to TEA Academy! What would you like to do?

**[C]reate** - Start learning sessions (new or continue existing progress)
**[V]alidate** - Review workflow quality and generate validation report
**[E]dit** - Modify workflow content or structure

Please select: [C]reate / [V]alidate / [E]dit"

### 3. Route to First Step

**IF mode == create:**
Load, read the full file and then execute `./steps-c/step-01-init.md` to begin the teaching workflow.

**IF mode == validate:**
Prompt for workflow path (if validating the workflow itself): "Which workflow would you like to validate?"
Then load, read the full file and then execute `./steps-v/step-v-01-validate.md`

**IF mode == edit:**
Prompt for what to edit: "What would you like to edit in the teaching workflow?"
Then load, read the full file and then execute `./steps-e/step-e-01-assess-workflow.md`
