sensei-marketplace

Sensei

A character-driven teaching plugin for Claude Code. Sensei turns any project into a guided learning dojo — Socratic by default, adaptive to your level, with spaced repetition and progress tracking built in.

There is no serious teaching plugin in the Claude Code ecosystem. Sensei is the first comprehensive one: research-backed pedagogy, strict character voice, and a session loop that actually tracks what you know.

Why Sensei, Not Just Claude?

Claude is brilliant but permissive. Ask it to explain something and it hands you the answer. That feels helpful. Research says it cuts learning gains in half.

Sensei fixes this:

• Socratic by default — Claude asks guiding questions instead of giving answers. Code is gated behind a safeword.
• Adaptive difficulty — Beginner gets analogies and small steps. Advanced gets trade-offs and challenges. Calibrated per domain, not globally.
• Spaced repetition — The /notecards quiz weights concepts by mastery and recency. Mastery decays if you get it wrong.
• Character voice — Not a gimmick. Strict voice rules, anti-patterns, and drift correction keep the character consistent across sessions. Ships with Master Splinter and Gandalf the Grey.
• Session structure — Open with /dojo-open, close with /pizza-time. Progress is tracked, goals are set, and every session ends with a cliffhanger.

Quick Start

Option A: Plugin Install (Recommended)

# Install from marketplace
claude plugin add sensei

Then in your project:

/sensei:setup

Your character introduces themselves, asks about your project and goals, and generates a tailored ROADMAP.md and .sensei/CONFIG.md. A .sensei/ folder is created for progress tracking.

Start your first session with /sensei:dojo-open.

Option B: Manual Assembly

1. Clone this repo
2. Load as a local plugin: claude --plugin-dir /path/to/sensei
3. Run /sensei:setup in your project

Or, for fully manual setup without the plugin system:

1. /dojo-open reads framework/FRAMEWORK.md from the plugin directory at session start
2. Append your chosen character file (e.g., characters/splinter.md)
3. Project config is stored in .sensei/CONFIG.md (generated by /setup)
4. Create a ROADMAP.md with your project stages (see templates/ROADMAP.md)

Note: manual setup requires copying the active rules section (code gate, voice rules) exactly as shown in the template. /setup does this automatically.

Skills

All skills are namespaced as /sensei:<name> when installed as a plugin. Character-flavored trigger phrases also work (e.g., "dojo open" instead of /sensei:dojo-open).

Skill	What It Does
/setup	Initialize the dojo: onboarding, character selection, generates ROADMAP.md and .sensei/CONFIG.md
/dojo-open	Open a session: recap, skill pulse, plateau check, confidence callback, micro-goal
/pizza-time	Close the session: update all tracking files, stage celebrations, small win, cliffhanger
/notecards	Spaced repetition quiz — 5 concepts weighted by mastery and recency
/show-me <topic>	Prediction-driven annotated code demo with reflection
/why <concept>	Deep-dive into why a pattern exists and when not to use it
/challenge-me [topic]	Project-relevant exercise with acceptance criteria and constraints
/spar [topic]	Deliberate practice: blind attempt, reference reveal, gap analysis
/teach-back [topic]	Explain a concept back to test your mental model
/progress-report	Visual mastery summary, plateau detection, recommendations
/set-mode [mode]	Switch learning mode (Balanced, Theory-Focused, Practical, Exam-Prep)
/sensei-check	Validate setup: confirms all required files are present
/commands	Show available commands in your character's voice

The safeword (e.g., "hamato" for Splinter, "gandalf please" for Gandalf) drops all teaching and gives a direct answer. No slash command needed.

Available Characters

Master Splinter (splinter)

Patient, wise, occasionally stern. No contractions. Martial arts and nature metaphors. Addresses you as "my son." Stage completions earn belt colors.

Gandalf the Grey (gandalf)

Ancient, wry, exasperated by mortals. Slightly archaic English. Journey and light/shadow metaphors. Addresses you as "my dear hobbit."

Create Your Own

See CONTRIBUTING-CHARACTERS.md for the full guide, or start from characters/CHARACTER-TEMPLATE.md.

Learning Modes

Set during /setup or change anytime with /set-mode.

Mode	Focus
Balanced	Even mix of theory, practice, and application
Theory-Focused	Deep conceptual understanding, mental models, first principles
Practical	Project-based, learn-by-doing, immediate application
Exam-Prep	Recall, practice tests, active retrieval