# Skill Tutor > Interactive tutorial that guides users through creating their first quirk skill using structured worksheets and hands-on - Skill: `quantumquirkxyz/skill-tutor` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add quantumquirkxyz/skill-tutor` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/quantumquirkxyz/skill-tutor/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: quantumquirkxyz (https://skillmd.com/u/quantumquirkxyz) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/quantumquirkxyz/skill-tutor --- # Skill Tutor: Interactive Guide to Creating Your First quirk Skill This skill provides an interactive, worksheet-based tutorial that guides you through creating your first quirk skill using hands-on practice and structured learning. ## Contract - Input: learning goal, preferred skill type, available time - Output: completed tutorial worksheet, created skill in sandbox, learning validation, personalized learning path - Scope: guided first experience creating a quirk skill - Rule: learning by doing - you will create an actual skill during the tutorial - Rule: all skills created follow the quirk method and can be validated using existing tools - Rule: tutorial adapts to your background and goals while teaching core concepts ## Interactive Tutorial Process This tutorial uses the principle of "progressive disclosure" for learning - revealing complexity gradually as you build foundational skills. ### Phase 1: Foundation Building (15-20 minutes) #### Worksheet 1.1: Understanding Skills ``` What is a skill in the quirk method? (In your own words) _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ What makes a skill predictable? (Hint: think about the root virtue) _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Name one principle of the quirk method and explain why it matters: Principle: _______________________________________________ Explanation: ____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ ``` #### Worksheet 1.2: Skill Anatomy Exploration ``` Examine an existing simple skill (like context-pack or ask-to): What does this skill do in one sentence? ___________________ _________________________________________________________ What are its inputs? _____________________________________ What are its outputs? ____________________________________ What does it declare as side effects? ______________________ What is its stop condition? _______________________________ ``` ### Phase 2: Guided Creation (30-45 minutes) #### Worksheet 2.1: Choosing Your First Skill Project ``` Think of a small, repetitive task you do when working with code. Examples: checking file naming conventions, validating TODO comments, ensuring consistent imports, etc. What small task would you like to automate with a skill? _________________________________________________________ Why is this task a good candidate for a skill? (Repeated, predictable, bounded) _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Who would benefit from this skill? ________________________ _________________________________________________________ ``` #### Worksheet 2.2: Defining Your Skill Contract ``` Skill Name (use kebab-case): ____________________________ One-sentence description (what it does and when to use it): _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Inputs (what your skill needs to work): - ________________________________________ - ________________________________________ Outputs (what your skill produces): - ________________________________________ - ________________________________________ Side Effects (what repository state it modifies, be honest): - ________________________________________ - ________________________________________ Stop Condition (how you'll know when it's done - be specific!): _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ ``` #### Worksheet 2.3: Building Your Skill Follow these steps to create your skill: 1. Open your terminal and navigate to the skill-sandbox: ``` cd .skill-sandbox ``` 2. Create your skill directory: ``` mkdir -p cd ``` 3. Create the SKILL.md file with this template: ``` --- name: description: version: 1 capabilities: - inputs: - - outputs: - - dependencies: [] sideEffects: - stopCondition: risk: low --- # [Write a brief explanation of what this skill does and doesn't do] ## Contract - Input: [describe what the skill consumes] - Output: [describe what the skill produces] - Scope: [brief description of what this skill does and doesn't do] ``` 4. Test that your skill has the right structure: ``` cd .. node .skill-sandbox/validations/validate-sandbox-skills.mjs ``` Should show 1 skill detected with no errors. ### Phase 3: Validation and Reflection (15-20 minutes) #### Worksheet 3.1: Testing Your Understanding ``` Explain in your own words: What is the difference between inputs and outputs in a skill? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Why should side effects be declared honestly? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ What makes a good stop condition? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ ``` #### Worksheet 3.2: Using the Skill Creator Skill ``` Now that you've created a skill manually, let's see how the skill-creator skill can help. The skill-creator skill provides worksheets to help you design skills more systematically. Try running it with a different skill concept to see how it works. What did you notice about the skill-creator approach vs. creating manually? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ ``` #### Worksheet 3.3: Reflection and Next Steps ``` What was the most challenging part of creating your first skill? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ What was the most surprising thing you learned? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ What type of skill would you like to create next? _________________________________________________________ What is one question you still have about skills or the quirk method? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ ``` ## Learning Path Integration This tutorial connects to the broader quirk learning ecosystem: ### After Completing This Tutorial: - You have practical experience creating a skill - You understand the basic structure and contracts - You know how to validate skills using sandbox tools ### Recommended Next Steps: 1. **Use skill-creator for your next skill**: Try the structured worksheets approach 2. **Explore the learning path**: Review `docs/agents/learning-path/01-fundamentals.md` and `02-writing-effective-skills.md` 3. **Try creating a skill that solves a real problem**: Apply what you learned to an actual need in your workflow 4. **Learn about skill composition**: Study how skills work together in workflows (see wayfinder, to-spec, to-tickets, etc.) ## Completion Criteria The user has completed this skill when: - They have filled out all worksheets with thoughtful responses - They have created a valid skill in the .skill-sandbox/ directory - They have successfully validated their skill using the sandbox validation tools - They have reflected on their learning experience and identified next steps - They can explain the basic concepts of skills in the quirk method ## Guardrails - Focus on learning by doing - the goal is to create an actual skill, not just theory - Keep your first skill small and focused - better to do one thing well than many things poorly - Be honest in your self-assessment - identify what you don't know as well as what you do - Remember that the first skill doesn't need to be perfect - it needs to be a learning experience - Use the validation tools to check your work, but don't rely on them exclusively for learning