Claude Code Memory, Context, and Session Control
Lesson 2: The Context Window as a Workbench
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain context as the active working memory for a session.
- Identify content that consumes context.
- Use summaries and subtask boundaries to protect important details.
Lesson Content
The context window is the active workbench. It holds instructions, messages, file reads, tool results, plans, and hidden system information needed for the session. When the workbench fills, the session may compact or summarize old material.
Students should treat context as limited attention. Put the most important rules and current goals where they are easy to recover. Use concise summaries between major tasks. Delegate large research or large file reading when possible so the main session does not drown in raw material.
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