Lesson Planning For Teachers and Group Discussion  Leaders

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Learning Torah is meant to be a sweet experience!  
This means anyone who participates nicely while Tiptoeing Through The Torah receives a special sweet treat.   
Rotate which child brings class treats. 

THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE SCROLL
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Take one empty paper towel roll. 
  • Tape to it one piece of  blank paper, then another  (at least two blank pages to begin the scroll)
  • Title Page
  • Illustrator's Self-Portrait  
  • Tape blank piece of paper. 
  • Tape First Portion
  • Tape illustration page to First Portion
  • Alternate text and art to create your Torah

IN THE BEGINNING OF CLASS 

 
  • Choose what's best for your group .  The key is reading out loud (and with expression, please!). If it is a small class, have each student read one paragraph or each student gets to read one week.  You can always start the first one. 
 
  • After each parsha reading there are questions.  Each person, even the youngest, must be given an opportunity to answer these questions.  Everyone’s commentary counts.   (Hint: There are no wrong answers, only honest ones!
 
  • After the questions are illustration ideas and students love illustrating their own Torah. (Note: Some adults may find that fun too.)  Just remember, this is not an art contest.  It is a time to be together as a class, studying, sharing and embracing the sweetness of Torah.  It is about connection. 

All done? Not yet! Treats for everyone!
Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take?

Depends on size of class. With discussion, illustrations and treats 30 minutes to 1 hour.   You can also make your Torah cover.

Before you begin, make sure everyone knows what the sweet treat is.  Make a big deal of it, especially those first few times!
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How can I integrate Torah into New Year lesson planning? 

Start your Tiptoe Torah's right at beginning of meeting and you will have a sweet start to your New Year!
When Simchas Torah comes around and the adults  are dancing with the Torah, they too can dance with their Torah!  Pre-K students especially enjoy this.  

​How can I include parents? 

For homework, have students ask a parent one of the questions to be shared the following class.  

For younger grades, parents enjoy starting the Tiptoe Torah with the students. 

What do I do if my student doesn’t want to Tiptoe? 

  • Offer the student to work on illustration while the reading is going on. Can skip reading.
 
  • Offer the student to be the one who reads it out loud or answers the first question.
 
  • Offer the child to make up  his or her own questions into instead of using the ones provided.

  • If student doesn't want to illustrate, that's okay. You will trust it will be done at home and brought back the following week., 
Leading A Torah Discussion Tips
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Goal is to Connect With Torah and Each Other

  • About  the answers. The most important thing is not whether you or any other person agrees or disagrees. It is about respecting each persons answer.  You will get your chance to  answer the question too.  
 
  • Try to find  something encouraging and positive to say about their answer — “I hadn’t thought about it that way” or  “interesting idea”. 
 
  • If you keep an open mind, you will be surprised how much you will learn.
 
  • Ask students to ask each other questions.
 
  • Ask what others think about the question before you share your answer, which could be a personal answer or a 'traditional answer'. 

What about School Breaks? 
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* Don’t worry.  Just begin where you left off.

 * Offer the students to continue their Torah scroll at
    home. Have a party when sharing what they did
    during breaks. 

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