Richard van de Lagemaat Recommendations

“This was Richard’s second visit here to run Theory of Knowledge workshops. Again he was excellent, pitching his delivery just right, and at a well-judged pace, in each of the three sessions. As I listened to him, and observed the response of his audiences, it struck me that what he does is to remind them that discovering ideas is one of life’s pleasures. He was as stimulating in his session with members of the teaching staff on ToK across the curriculum as he was with our IB2 students and with the IB1 beginners, whom he taught to be suspicious of the way information is offered to us. His presentation to IB1 was timed to borrow fifteen minutes or so from their lunchtime; they did not seem to notice.”

Colin Marsh, Director of IB, Bedford School, United Kingdom (2009)

“Richard's workshops with both students and staff were most stimulating. The students benefited enormously from his energetic delivery as well as being encouraged to examine relevant events from a Theory of Knowledge perspective. It was amazing how much he managed to pack into a relatively short period of time. We will definitely be inviting him back in the near future!”

Monica Pengilley, IBDP Coordinator, Box Hill School, United Kingdom (2009)

“Richard van de Lagemaat came to an IB INSET day as we were preparing to cross over from A Levels to IB. He delivered three sessions on the Theory of Knowledge which were stimulating, funny and immensely valuable. HIs final gift was to deliver a session on the reality of organsing and running Theory of Knowledge. The school's staff certainly felt that they had been in the presence of knowledge, experience, intelligence and humour.”

John Claughton, Chief Master, King Edward's School, Birmingham, United Kingdom (2009)

“When students do not move when it is time for the lesson break, you know something unusual is happening. That was Richard van Lagemaat, who talked with students and staff over two days at the International School of Luxembourg. Richard tantalized and inspired students with his views, points and questions on the issues of Theory of Knowledge. The students wanted to hear more and so did the staff as Richard posed questions that got to the root of questioning the why and how of our knowledge structures. Such an approach will help all students in all aspects of their life but especially in their studies when fundamental questions arise. For the staff he gave more pointers and suggestions as to how to structure courses and individual lessons, with ideas for topics and some of the key questions relating to the ToK programme. We greatly enjoyed and profited form his visit.”

Dr.Dorothee Prendergast, US German & TOK Coordinator, International School of Luxembourg (2009)

“I am sure that every school that has a chance to invite you is extremely lucky because you are not only very experienced yourself but you also have an excellent way of communicating with teachers, particularly experienced teachers, who are always the hardest class to motivate, to challenge and move out of the focus that they have created themselves. Thank you for doing this at Gimnazija Bezigrad.”

Barbara Gostiša Pretnar, IBDP Coordinator, Gimnazija Bezigrad, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2009)

“Richard van de Lagemaat is an inspiring speaker - for both students and staff. He worked with all our IB students for over seven hours, exploring many of the knowledge issues they would later encounter on the Theory of Knowledge course. That he was able to keep them engaged for this length of time speaks volumes for him as a teacher; but he did more than this: he got them arguing , debating, and, most importantly of all, asking questions of themselves. There was a real buzz about the day, and, I'm happy to say, the teachers are living with the very rewarding legacy of enquiry he left with us.”

Dr David James, Director of IB, Wellington College, United Kingdom (2008)

“Thank you for the excellent workshops that you delivered at St. Christopher's last week. The teaching staff gained a very great deal from all of your sessions and they commented on your relaxed and accessible style of presentation. Similarly, the students have been very enthusiastic in their praise of your work and the Sixth form study area was buzzing with discussion for the whole of last week. The IB students have had an excellent kick-start to their DP studies and I would like to thank you personally for starting off our DP programme on such an positive note.”

Steve Martin, IB Coordinator, St. Christopher's School, Bahrain (2008)

“Richard kept over thirty members of staff entertained and active for the whole day's TOK inset. Everyone enjoyed the inset and the feedback from staff was very positive, especially from the TOK co-ordinator and our TOK tutors. It has improved our general understanding of the issues which TOK raises and informed our inclusion of TOK into our other subject tutorials. Thank you very much, a very worthwhile day.”

Corry Baldes, Truro College, United Kingdom (2008)

“We have engaged Richard's services so many times, I have lost count. He has a phenomenal capacity for incisive reasoning, and his stimulating presentations are unparalleled. He never fails to engage the students; that engagement is invariably challenging; and that challenge is acutely inspirational. I have no hesitation in recommending his services.”

Adrian Hilton, Assistant Principal, Slough Grammar School, United Kingdom (2008)

“Richard van de Lagemaat joined us at TISA and ran two sessions for our TOK students around the theme of 'Conspiracy Theories'. His presentation style was clear, engaging and dynamic. When the students found out the Richard was running a day of Professional Development with our Secondary Faculty, they asked if they could join us on that too! He also spent a day with our Secondary Faculty exploring 'TOK Across the Curriculum'. He was successful in demystifying TOK by using examples from a variety of Areas of Knowledge that were interesting and relevant to teachers. In the words of our longest serving faculty member: "This was the best Professional Development day we have had at TISA in ten years.”

Nick Hazell, IB Coordinator, The International School of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan (2008)

“Fifty staff from our school were fully absorbed by this engaging, stimulating, entertaining, and accomplished two-day workshop given by Dr Richard van de Lagemaat, which reflected all the passion, principles and practice of a well-grounded approach to the integration of critical thinking into subject teaching. The format of contextualized presentation, intense reflection, concrete examples, and open discussion had a powerful impact on participants. The workshop created the seeds of common understanding, cleaned the cobwebs from an era of non-reflective practice, and set the scene for a changed institutional mental map. The excitement is still palpable - not to be missed.”

John O'Dwyer, PhD, Director, Bilkent Primary and High Schools, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey (2008)

“Many thanks for your excellent presentations. I have had some wonderful feedback from pupils, staff and parents. The pupils in particular are starting to really consider the Diploma, many that had not done so initially. You really managed to engage with the pupils in a thoughtful manner that required little classroom management, pretty impressive given their number!”

Lara Pechard, Head of Sixth Form, Portsmouth Grammar School, United Kingdom (2008)

“Can I send you a great THANK YOU from all the delegates to the workshop. It was an excellent day with one school calling it inspirational! In fact everyone was so pleased with the day that they asked if we could arrange another.”

Peter Fidczuk, Assistant Head, IB, Dartford Grammar School, United Kingdom (2008)

“Dr van de Lagemaat's presentation on Theory of Knowledge to our staff preparing to teach the IB Diploma was precise, thought provoking and massively useful. At the end of a full day INSET staff, without prompting, offered comments that included "inspirational" and "the best INSET I have attended in years". The insight that he offered on the place of TOK within the Diploma will be crucial in ensuring we move forward confidently with TOK both as a discreet course and within each Diploma subject. It was a genuinely excellent day.”

Mark Humphries, Head of IB Diploma, Leeds Grammar School, United Kingdom (2008)

“On our recent professional development day our IB diploma faculty were immensely impressed by Richard's presentation. He challenged and coerced us all to reflect upon our teaching in order to weave a richer tapestry for students' learning. Moreover, his visual images and entertaining rhetoric provided a non-stop feed to the intellect. We all left at the end of the day feeling inspired and exhilarated, and I have already had many requests for his return.”

Simon Watson, Senior School Principal, Copenhagen International School, Denmark (2007)

“Richard gave a superb series of TOK talks to a group of staff with a wide variety of subject backgrounds. The feedback was universally excellent and all the staff enjoyed the day. Richard's wide subject knowledge was very assuring and he was able to deal with all our questions. I would definitely recommend schools applying to offer the Diploma Programme to run a similar TOK training event. ”

Chris Buckley, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, The Manchester Grammar School, United Kingdom (2007)

“Richard visited our school to conduct an introductory TOK workshop for our 1st Year students. They were all impressed with his extensive knowledge of the subject as well as the professionalism and passion he displayed during his stay with us. It was a great pleasure and also an inspiring lesson for us, teachers, to see how easily Richard stimulated our students to contribute to the discussions and how educative and, at the same time, enjoyable such discussions can be. The workshop served the purpose of presenting the students with the connections between TOK course and their real lives perfectly. We look forward to further cooperation with Richard and recommend him as an unquestionable expert in his field.”

Monika Koblak, Head of Theory of Knowledge, I SLO im. Jam Saheba Digvijay Sinhji, Warsaw, Poland (2007)

“The TOK workshop was excellent. It was informative, thought provoking, mentally stimulating and entertaining. Richard is obviously an outstanding teacher with the ability to measure his audience and adapt his programme to suit. He cleverly involves everybody and conducts activities in a manner that encourages confidence and therefore full participation. ”

John Scovell, History Teacher, Emirates National School, United Arab Emirates (2007)

“Organising INSET for 90 members of staff can be worrying - what if it all goes wrong and people are bored and frustrated rather than inspired in the way you had hoped? That is why we chose Richard van de Lagemaat to talk to us on critical thinking and on IB Theory of Knowledge. We wanted someone with a reputation for quality and inspiration and were not disappointed. His INSET has really got people thinking, talking and questioning in just the way we had hoped.”

James Cope, IB Coordinator, St. Edward's School, Oxford, United Kingdom (2007)

“I found the TOK workshop to be extremely insightful. Dr. Richard's approach was informative and very interesting with many real-life examples which solidified the topic discussed. I have a much greater understanding of Theory of Knowledge now and I have already started adapting many of the ideas that Dr. Richard put forward.”

Josh Doubleday, Art Teacher, Emirates National School, United Arab Emirates (2007)

“Richard led two sessions for our staff, one for those who will be involved in the delivery of the Diploma Programme and also an introduction to TOK for the remainder. Both groups agreed that the session was enjoyable, stimulating and valuable and the discussion continued long afterwards. It is rare for INSET to meet with such a universally enthusiastic response; we have been quick to invite Richard back for another session.”

Peter Such, IB Coordinator, Sherborne School, United Kingdom (2007)

“Richard van de Lagemaat from InThinking ran a one day workshop for all our teachers entitled "All teachers are TOK teachers". We were delighted at the outcome; our expectations were exceeded and the staff response was as enthusiastic as I can remember for a study day. Richard engaged the entire staff throughout the day be they Middle Years or upper school Diploma teachers. Richard is clearly an accomplished presenter with an impressive knowledge not only of his subject but of all subjects in general. As the integration of TOK becomes more explicit rather than implicit in an ever increasing number of syllabi, I would recommend this workshop to any of our fellow international schools wishing to broaden teacher's horizons in the way in which they present their subject to students.”

Glyn Jones, Deputy Head, International School Hilversum, The Netherlands (2007)

“The InThinking staff workshop provided an excellent opportunity for staff from across the subject range to understand the universal application of critical thinking skills. The range of activities involved and the humour with which the sessions were delivered made for an inspiring and memorable experience.”

Martin Savery, IB Coordinator, Alton College, United Kingdom (2007)

“Richard van de Lagemaat was absolutely brilliant in working with our students. He is a person of great intelligence, open mindedness and wisdom that brings clarity of thought to people. His ability to help students begin the process of critical thinking necessary for truly understanding Theory of Knowledge is remarkable. He is provocative in his delivery, dazzling in his presentation, and he can string ideas together in ways to make students think deeply.”

Randy Stevens, Head, St. Timothy's School, Maryland, USA (2007)

“Having seen you work now both in Jordan and Portugal, I know that you have the ability to pitch your workshops at the correct level. The great thing about the day in February was that teachers went away desiring more: a good recommendation for any trainer!”

David Butcher, Head of Senior School, Oporto British School, Porto, Portugal (2007)

“Just a quick note to thank you again for the presentation you gave to our students on TOK and to say that I hope you continue to have great success with In-Thinking, the IBO organisations and programs really need professionally run workshops and you a filling a real niche in the market. ”

Ian Piper, Secondary School Principal, International School of Paris, France (2006)

“Brentwood School used Richard van de Lagemaat for their INSET at the start of the academic year with the intention of introducing the idea of the IB Theory of Knowledge paper to all members of staff, explaining what it involved and how it impacted on teaching and learning in all disciplines. In addition we were hoping for a presentation which would stimulate us and set the tone for the academic year. Richard fulfilled all our expectations and provided us with a day's training which is still being talked about today – two months after it happened.”

Nigel Carr, Deputy Head, Brentwood School, United Kingdom (2006)

“I thought it was superb. The pace was good, the content was directly relevant to the classroom environments we teach in. Richard was clearly highly knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic about his subject area. He involved the group throughout and we had lots of time for discussion about the topic under consideration.”

David Newsham, Head of Design and Technology, Markham College, Lima, Peru (2006)

“Dr Richard van de Lagemaat visited Newton College to hold workshop sessions with Year 1 and 2 IB Diploma students on critical thinking as well as giving them very valuable advice on their oral and written presentations for TOK. Dr van de Lagemaat also held a workshop for the school's TOK teachers. The sessions were lively, challenging and relevant and raised pertinent issues for students and staff alike when considering the vital role of critical thinking in knowledge acquisition. We would be delighted to have him back on another occasion as our staff and students found the experience very rewarding.”

David Mitchell, Head of Upper School, Newton College, Lima, Peru (2006)

“Dr van de Lagemaat inspires teachers and students in a way that few can, he opens the doors of critical thinking eloquently, energetically and memorably. I can think of no better opportunity for professional development than this.”

Conrad Hughes, IB coordinator, International School of Geneva, Switzerland (2006)

“I would like to thank Dr. van de Lagemaat very much for the excellent and most enjoyable workshop on Critical Thinking. The feedback from our teachers indicates that the workshop was very successful. Valuable knowledge was obtained and thinking skills have been developed. We will certainly encourage other schools and teachers who missed this workshop to attend similar workshops and hope we will organize another one next Fall.”

Dr. Ziad Said, Director, Amna Bint wahab Independent Secondary School, Qatar (2006)

“Richard visited our school for one day and worked with our Senior Leadership Team and Middle Leaders. In the short time that he spent at the school, staff left enthusiastic about TOK, had a good understanding about TOK and above all wanted to be involved in the delivery of TOK. Using Richard's own words he was able to "Keep it simple, but not simplistic". I now have a budding team of TOK teachers. Thank you Richard!”

Arnett Edwards, Deputy Principal, King George V School, Hong Kong (2006)

“Dr van de Lagemaat is an efficient trainer who has conducted several workshops for students, teachers and administrators at the Modern Montessori School in Amman. His performance was of great value since he has trained teachers on how properly to manage their classrooms, and gave insight to the school administrators on how to improve their leadership strategies and group dynamics. Students have also benefited from the way Mr. van de Lagaamat conducted the TOK session. We, at the Modern Montessori School, highly appreciate Mr van de Lagaamat help and are grateful he has shared his expertise with us.”

Adnan Mer'ie, Vice Principal/Head of Senior School, Modern Montessori School, Amman, Jordan (2006)

“Dr van de Lagemaat enthused staff, students and parents during a highly successful two day visit to West Island School, Hong Kong. He managed to combine an articulate knowledge in Critical Thinking, Internationalism and Theory of knowledge with practical case studies and activities to engage a wide range of audiences. I wholeheartedly recommend him to any future educational institutions. ”

Craig Davis, IB Coordinator, West Island School, Hong Kong (2006)

“In January 2006 Dr. Richard van de Lagemaat delivered two TOK presentations, one for students entitled “Critical Thinking, War and Terrorism” and one for teachers entitled “TOK Across the Curriculum” at Oslo International School. The objective was to introduce the philosophy and methods of TOK to these groups and in both cases Dr. Lagemaat succeeded through truelly engaging presentations and discussions to inspire the audiences and stimulate high interest in the importance of critical thinking throughout the learning/teaching process. As some of the students then told me : “Now I can't wait to start IB and TOK” and some of the teachers exclaimed, “Wonderful to think again and realise that this is what we can be doing all the time!””

Peter Luitjens, IB Coordinator, Oslo International School, Norway (2006)

“Richard's workshops are a great insight on the topics of TOK and critical thinking. Besides being a great speaker and keeping everyone's attention focused and alert, the topics he chooses to illustrate each point are very much related to the audience whether they are teachers, students or parents. Everyone at our school left not only with more intellectual knowledge but with knowledge integrated into their thinking thanks to his interactive exercises.”

Dina Lahlou, Modern Montessori School, Amman, Jordan (2005)

“Dr. Richard van de Lagemaat was invited to participate in our third Leadership Conference held at the Movinpick Dead Sea Resort in Jordan 18-20 November 2005. He presented two workshops. Eighty-five Leading Private Schools Leaders attended and appreciated Dr. Richard's presentation. Every one was interested and involved during both workshops. I look forward to working with Dr. Richard again in the near future.”

Basem Barakat, Vice President and Director General of RAMS Schools and College; President of the Private Schools Association of Jordan (2006)

“We invited Richard to do 3 workshops at Bedford School. He worked with our IB2 and IB1 students in separate sessions, then addressed the teaching staff on ways in which Theory of Knowledge informs, and is informed by, the different subjects across the curriculum. He was excellent in all 3 sessions, pitching his delivery expertly, inviting audience involvement and using it skilfully to further his point. His talks were lucidly structured, imaginatively illustrated and had a clear focus and direction. Our students and teaching colleagues found Richard a highly stimulating speaker; I would not hesitate to invite him back.”

Colin Marsh, Bedford School, United Kingdom (2005)

“On behalf of the Ahliyyah family, I would like to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude to Dr. van de Lagemaat for an enlightening and exceptional experience. His sessions opened new horizons for all those who attended.”

Haifa Najjar, Director, Ahliyyah School for Girls, Jordan (2005)

“Dr. Richard van de Lagemaat recently gave four TOK workshops - Grade 11, Grade 12, IB teachers and IB parents - at our school. To say that they were good would be an understatement. Each was different, each met the needs, and TOK experience, of the specific audience, each kept the participants interested and involved. I would not hesitate to recommend Dr, van de Lagemaat to any school seeking to improve its TOK programme as his knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm will make a lasting impression on whatever audience he presents to.”

Dermot Keegan, Vice Principal, Amman Baccalaureate School, Jordan (2005)

“Three days with Richard at OSC led to a ToK buzz amongst faculty and students alike. His open style, huge bank of useful resources and emphasis on critical thinking skills suited our needs perfectly. We will definitely look to work with Richard again in the future. ”

Laurie McLellan, Head of School, Overseas School of Colombo, Sri Lanka (2005)

“Richard conducted two workshops, one for the faculty and one for students, and a teacher training session in the course of three days at our school. All were exceptionally well received. The students were impressed with his teaching skills. The depth of his knowledge of the Theory of Knowledge curriculum and practical teaching experience was impressive. He helped our students and faculty to better understand the relationship between the TOK curriculum and the development of critical thinking skills in all of the subject areas. Using familiar concepts and current events, Richard was able to demonstrate how the inherent limitations of our approaches to knowledge create biases in our thinking. His work with our TOK teachers was instrumental in shifting our perspective away from a formal philosophical approach toward the much more relevant realm of the problems of knowledge in our daily lives. At the same time he provided very practical suggestions for managing assessments and excellent examples of ways to conduct discussions. These workshops have revitalized our TOK program, and the impact of his visit will be felt for years to come.”

John McCandless, American Embassy , New Delhi, India (2005)

“Richard's visit to our school as a Theory of Knowledge consultant was a great success, and he showed flexibiIity in fitting his presentation into our somewhat erratic schedule. I continue to hear positive comments from faculty and students about his visit. As someone who sat in on most of the presentations, I was particularly aware of how well he tailored each presentation to the particular audience. He very quickly established rapport with the students, even when in a large group of just over 90. I've never seen it done any better. The faculty were particularly impressed with Richard's focus on thinking skills that cross all disciplines. His presentation provided a venue for us to reflect on what is truly important in our teaching.”

Sharon Boyle Woods, International School of Beijing, China (2005)

“Dr. Richard van de Lagemaat presented a two-day TOK Seminar developing the theme of: "What should we believe? " at the British School of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in February 2005. Over one hundred IB1 and IB2 students were spell-bound by the presentations, tremendously stimulated by the ensuing discussions and reported greatly improved critical thinking capabilities.”

Kevin Mansell, British International School of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2005)

“The teaching and training which Richard provided was expertly tailored to the needs of both the students and teachers. The material was thoroughly organised, engagingly presented and synthesised the essence of ToK through a wide range of intriguing examples. The sessions led to invigorating discussions and helped students see how the issues of ToK underpin much of their current learning and understanding. Highly recommended!”

Tom Wayman, King's College School, United Kingdom (2005)

“Richard was a stimulating and thought-provoking speaker on the theme of “What Should I Believe?” and students heard about how to balance scepticism and belief to give themselves a practical guide to making decisions in a world where they are bombarded with information. He kept the diverse audience absorbed and interacting with him and feedback afterwards was very positive. Students were impressed by his knowledge and ability to respond to questions 'on his feet'. We thoroughly recommend Richard to any school looking for a ToK day speaker.”

Jill Rutherford, IB Coordinator, Oakham School, United Kingdom (2005)

“Richard van de lagemaat has presented at various conferences sponsored by the Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools, offering both single sessions as well as one day and two day institutes. His topics ranged from critical thinking to geography to literature to philosophy. He was well received and earned high marks from our delegates. I recommend him to you with enthusiasm.”

David Chojnacki, Executive Director of Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (2005)

“Dr van de Lagemaat is an inspiring speaker who totally engages his audience. Not only did he communicate tremendous enthusiasm for his subject ‚Äì critical thinking - but he provided the staff with ideas that were immediately relevant for their teaching approaches whether or not they are going to be involved in the IB programme. I have no hesitation in recommending him unreservedly.”

Ian Davies, Headmaster, St Dunstan's College, London, United Kingdom (2003)

“Richard has been a key person in developing a model for a Critical Thinking course for our upper secondary Business and Administration programme. He has been successful in guiding us both on theoretical and practical levels. With Richard's extensive knowledge and experience in the educational field we have been able to structure our ideas and clarify our pedagogical aims in teaching critical thinking skills to young students. Richard's training sessions have generated lots of new ideas among our teachers and his amazing training skills, enthusiasm and engagement have been a magical touch to the development process at our college! We can warmly recommend Richard as a trainer and facilitator also in other schools that offer more practically oriented programmes for their students. ”

Elina Kätkä, Coordinator of the Vocational Qualification in Business and Administration, International Programme, Oulu Business College, Finland (2004)

“Richard van de Lagemat is a masterful role model in TOK. His workshops are 'state-of-the-art' TOK jewels, chiselled with witty sharpness, broad-based knowledge and enthusiasm. He has an easy rapport with students, engages them meaningfully in activities and stimulates their thinking. His yearly workshops at the American School of Paris have become important landmarks on the students' road to comprehension of TOK.”

Ouriel Reschef, Theory of Knowledge teacher, American School of Paris, France (2003)

“As a presenter, Richard is second to none in his inquiry-based approach and use of humour. His teacher workshops strike a proper balance between being intellectually challenging and thought-provoking, and in providing practical activities that I can take to the classroom and use in my next lesson. His presentations are models of good teaching practice.”

Bob Wade, Upper School Principal, Zurich International School, Switzerland (2003)

“Richard's INSET training for teachers engaged with the IB diploma programme on how to incorporate Theory of Knowledge into their teaching was hugely valued..... The result was an energised, confident and buoyant Common Room, ready to incorporate TOK and critical thinking skills into their teaching.”

James Kazi, IB Coordinator, Haileybury School, United Kingdom (2003)

“A most enjoyable and valuable workday. The pace and level of the presentations were exactly right and every session was extremely interesting. Teachers felt that they had gained a new perspective not only on TOK but also about what they teach in their own courses. One of the best workshops that we have had in many years and excellent value for money.”

Damian Kerr, IB Coordinator, International School of Paris, France (2003)

“Richard has a wonderful rapport with young people and a dazzling command of subject matter.”

John R. Plommer, Director, Danube International School, Vienna, Austria (2002)

“Dr. Richard van de Lagemaat was our special guest and keynote speaker at the Latin American Heads Conference - “Leaders of the Future Students Conference” - held at St Georgeìs College, Buenos Aires, Argentina in October 2001. The three day conference hosted more than a hundred students from 35 school of 11 different countries in Latin America. It began with an opening dinner and a wonderful and inspiring speech delivered by Dr. van de Lagemaat, and was followed by three days of intense, interactive training sessions. Dr. van de Lagemaat provided challenging tasks and activities for the students and his work reflected flexibility, deep professionalism and a keen sense of humour at all times. It was a real honour to share this conference with Dr van de Lagemaat.”

Marcela Stewart de Tovo, Stella B. de Suárez, General Heads, Holy Trinity College, Mar de Plata, Argentina (2002)

“Dr. Richard van de Lagemaat gave invaluable support to our school by conducting seminars and developing the critical thinking skills of our students, which is of great importance for the development of Russia. His seminars are not only full of deep ideas, but also fun and entertaining. He is a model of teaching excellence for the teachers of our school.”

Irene Bogantseva, Director, European Gymnasium, Moscow, Russia (2002)

“Richard van de Lagemaat conducted a highly successful I.B. Theory of Knowledge Workshop at the Vienna International School in May 2002. Our school frequently sends teachers out to conferences and workshops, but bringing an excellent presenter to the school to run a workshop for teachers proved not only engaging and stimulating, but also much better value for money. We can recommend Richard van de Lagemaat very warmly.”

Dr Walther Hetzer, Director, Vienna International School, Austria (2002)

“No other speaker that I know delivers such perfect Theory of Knowledge lectures. Richard appears to be able to present material on any topic with supreme clarity, delightful humour, an excellent eye for the capacity of his audience, and a wonderful use of examples to illustrate his points.”

Nick Lee, Director of Studies, St. Clare's Oxford, United Kingdom (2002)

“Richard is one of the most charismatic teachers I have encountered on the international circuit. He has a seemingly effortless command of the Western intellectual and philosophical traditions, and is able to deliver ideas with clarity and humour in a way that connects with adults and younger students alike. A brilliant and impromtu discourse on Sartre (when IT and powerpoint once did not deliver), will be one of my lasting memories of Li Po Chun United World College.”

Blair Forster, Principal, Li Po Chun United World College, Hong Kong (2002)

“I have worked with Dr Richard van de Lagemaat for over 15 years as a colleague, a workshop leader and an employee at summer schools. Through all these joint experiences Richard has been an entertaining, provocative and inspirational leader or facilitator. He prepares thoroughly but is able to improvise brilliantly and wittily when opportunities arise. He has that rare ability to clarify difficult and abstract concepts with well chosen illustrations that give his listeners the “aha!” experience of understanding and instils in them the desire to debate issues openly and confidently.”

Dr John Lawrenson, Rektor (Principal), Red Cross Nordic United World College, Norway (2002)

“Watching Richard van de Lagemaat teach philosophy, I feel as if he could seduce anyone into studying this difficult subject. Few can capture young people's attention in as compelling a way as can Richard. He has a remarkable ability to guide his students into the full development of their intellectual potential, as well as train them to become convincing writers. Always respectful of his audience, he manages to be understood without compromising the demanding intellectual content of his discourse, all the while, stimulating them into thinking their own thoughts.”

Suzanne Tremblay, Former Chief Examiner Philosophy, International Baccalaureate Organization (2002)

“Richard has been a leader of IB workshops for teachers of Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and of summer courses for students for the last 15 years. His extraordinary ability to explain difficult concepts in a simple and clear way is a true asset in a field such as the TOK. As the key element and centre of the educational philosophy of the IB diploma programme, TOK must be well understood and well taught in all IB schools. Richard's great contribution over the years has been to clarify the aims of TOK and propose concrete ways of approaching it in the classroom for the benefit of hundreds of teachers and as a consequence thousands of IB students.”

Monica Flodman, Associate Regional Director, International Baccalaureate Organization (2002)

“I can thoroughly recommend Dr. van de Lagemaat for his work, his professionalism, and his extensive knowledge in the field.”

Mabel Mazzini, MBE Principal, St Catherine's Moorlands School, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2002)

“I have known and worked with Richard van de Lagemaat for nearly twenty years. In my view he is the best teacher of Theory of Knowledge I have met, and is a fine presenter on a wide range of topics. I can recommend him without hesitation to any school seeking a top-class, professionally prepared and delivered, consultancy, or for presentations to either teachers or students.”

Andrew Maclehose, Principal at the International School of Geneva; Founding Headmaster of the Chand Bagh School, Pakistan (2002)