# TRADING EDUCATION  CURRICULUM

Day trading basics through advanced tactics — all filtered through the OPERATOR Setup Gate. Every concept here maps to a rule you already learned in the books. Start at Section 1 and work forward.

Every section connects to your Setup Gate. You don't need all of this. You need the sections that directly improve your gate compliance.

## 01 Foundation
### Day Trading Basics
What trading actually is, whether it's for you, and what separates people who survive from people who blow up in 90 days. This is Chapter 1 of your book in curriculum form.

Connects to: All 6 Gates — this section explains why each gate exists  
[Day Trading Guide](/content/members/edu-day-trading-guide.html)  
[Day Trader Definition](/content/members/edu-day-trader-definition.html)  
[How Much Money You Need](/content/members/edu-how-much-money.html)  
[PDT Rule](/content/members/edu-pdt-rule.html)  
[Day Trading Rules](/content/members/edu-trading-rules.html)  
[When and What to Trade](/content/members/edu-when-what-to-trade.html)

## 02 Preparation
### Premarket & Setup
What happens before the market opens, how to build your watchlist, and the exact Sunday workflow that defines the OPERATOR week. Gate 4 and Gate 6 live here.

Connects to: Gate 4 (market context) · Gate 6 (earnings check)  
[Premarket Trading](/content/members/edu-premarket.html)  
[Morning Watchlist](/content/members/edu-watchlist.html)  
[How to Buy Stocks](/content/members/edu-how-to-buy.html)  
[What Is a Trading Edge](/content/members/edu-trading-edge.html)

## 03 What You Trade
### Trading Products
Stocks, options, ETFs — what each instrument is and which ones the OPERATOR system uses. Futures and shorting are covered for context but are outside the IRA swing system.

Connects to: Scanner B (options scoring) · Options Checklist tool  
[Stocks](/content/members/edu-stocks.html)  
[Options](/content/members/edu-options.html)  
[ETFs](/content/members/edu-etfs.html)  
[Futures](/content/members/edu-futures.html)

## 04 Toolbox
### Day Trading Tools
Brokers, scanners, charting platforms, and paper trading. The complete tool stack for the OPERATOR system — what you need, what you don't, and what to avoid paying for.

Connects to: Gate 1 (broker choice affects liquidity) · All scanner tools  
[Brokers](/content/members/edu-brokers.html)  
[Stock Scanners](/content/members/edu-scanners.html)  
[Paper Trading](/content/members/edu-paper-trading.html)  
[Best Trading Tools](/content/members/edu-best-tools.html)

## 05 Chart Reading
### Stock Charts
Candlesticks, patterns, volume, and indicators — all in the context of the Setup Gate. Gate 2 (structure) and Gate 5 (thesis) both require fluent chart reading.

Connects to: Gate 2 (structure/support) · Gate 5 (thesis) · Breakout Drill tool  
[Chart Reading Guide](/content/members/chart-guide.html)  
[How to Read Stock Charts](/content/members/edu-how-to-read-charts.html)  
[Candlestick Charts](/content/members/edu-candlestick-charts.html)  
[Best Free Stock Charts](/content/members/edu-free-stock-charts.html)

## 06 Trade Setups
### Day Trading Strategies
The specific setups the OPERATOR system targets. Momentum and gap setups are calibrated for swing entry — NOT day-trade chasing. Each strategy maps to the Breakout Drill setup types.

Connects to: Gate 2 (each strategy = a specific structure) · Gate 5 (thesis template per strategy)  
[Momentum Trading](/content/members/edu-momentum.html)  
[Gap and Go](/content/members/edu-gap-and-go.html)  
[Bull Flag Pattern](/content/members/edu-bull-flag.html)  
[Reversal Trading](/content/members/edu-reversal.html)  
[Mean Reversion](/content/members/edu-mean-reversion.html)  
[Penny Stocks](/content/members/edu-penny-stocks.html)

## 07 Execution & Mind
### Trading Tactics & Psychology
Position sizing, risk management, multiple time frames, and the mental discipline that separates traders who follow the gate from traders who override it. This is where most accounts blow up — not from bad analysis, but from bad execution and emotion.

Connects to: Gate 3 (R:R) · Gate 5 (thesis = prevents emotional entry) · Trade Journal tool  
[Position Sizing](/content/members/edu-position-sizing.html)  
[Risk / Reward](/content/members/edu-risk-reward.html)  
[Risk Management](/content/members/edu-risk-management.html)  
[Multiple Time Frames](/content/members/edu-multiple-timeframes.html)  
[FOMO](/content/members/edu-fomo.html)  
[Mastering Emotions](/content/members/edu-emotions.html)  
[Holding Losing Trades](/content/members/edu-holding-losers.html)  
[Shorting Stocks](/content/members/edu-shorting.html)

## BOOK REFERENCE
Sections 7a (risk management) and 7e-g (psychology) map directly to Chapters 9-10 of _Trade with an Edge_ and Chapters 4-6 of _Hold Without Panic_. **Read those chapters before the psychology section here** — the book covers the emotional mechanics at depth this curriculum summarizes.