teach

name	teach
description	Explain code and patterns after AI writes them. Kolb's Reflection phase — breaks down what was done, why this pattern, how it fits the architecture, and what could go wrong. Use when: 'teach me', 'explain this', 'what did you just do', 'why this pattern', 'what should I learn from this'.

Teach — Reflection Phase (Kolb's Learning Cycle)

After AI writes or edits code, explain the changes at an architecture level. This is the Reflection phase of the Reflective Learning Loop — turning raw experience into understanding.

Learning Principle

"Reflection transforms experience into learning." — Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle

The AI just wrote code (Experience). Now we reflect: what patterns were used, why those patterns, how they connect, what could go wrong. This builds mental models, not just syntax familiarity.

Instructions

1. Identify the files that were recently changed in this session (check git diff or recent tool calls)
2. For each significant change, explain:
   • What it does (1-2 sentences, no line-by-line walkthrough)
   • Why this pattern (vs alternatives — e.g., "Zustand instead of Redux because...")
   • How it connects to the rest of the architecture (what calls it, what it depends on)
   • What breaks if this component fails (error paths, missing dependencies, cascading failures)
3. Link to concepts tracked by learn-while-code if the pattern matches a known concept (read ~/.learn-while-code/data/concepts.jsonl)
4. Keep explanations conversational, not academic. Match the user's language.
5. End with: "Questions about this?" to invite the next phase (Recall via /defend)

Output Format

## What Changed
[file list with 1-line architectural summary each]

## Pattern: [name]
**What:** [1-2 sentences]
**Why this, not [alternative]:** [trade-off explanation]
**Connects to:** [upstream/downstream dependencies]
**Fails when:** [error scenarios]

## Concepts Touched
- [concept-name] (status: encountered/quizzed/understood/mastered)
- [concept-name] ...

Questions about this?

Gotchas

• Use the learning profile. The SessionStart hook injects what the user has mastered, understood, and what's weak. Don't over-explain mastered concepts — mention them as context ("you already know Express middleware — this uses the same pattern for..."). Spend depth on encountered/unseen concepts.
• Explain architecture decisions, not syntax. "This uses middleware" is useless. "Middleware here separates auth from business logic so each can be tested independently" is useful.
• If the change is trivial (typo fix, version bump), say "Nothing architecturally interesting — no new concepts here" and skip.
• Read the actual diff, don't guess from file names.
• When multiple patterns overlap, explain how they interact (e.g., "Express routing + JWT middleware + Zustand store form the request lifecycle").