In the realm of beloved teachers at The Hill, Ned Ide does not go without mention. In his 23-year career as an English teacher at this school, he has impacted the lives of countless students and shaped the academic experiences of many. He has certainly affected the authors of this article. The community chose Ide to speak at the Class of 2022 Commencement. He’s also the person who, when he discovered we were writing this article, told us to “not make it a fluff piece.” That might be a little difficult considering the nature of this piece, but we will try our best.

Both authors of this article were lucky to have Ide as their English 1 teacher third-form year. In the classroom, Ide made each student feel comfortable enough to express themselves. His laid-back teaching style is one thing of note.

“Though Mr. Ide rarely shows up in person, he has been there for me for every step of my Hill career, through every struggle and accomplishment,” Anna Guo ’22 stated in a text, “I am so grateful to have him as my advisor for the past 3 years.”

The Wednesday open floor discussions in English class are something his students remember fondly. These classroom debates would sometimes be on very prominent topics relevant to the school or current events. Other times the topics would be very lighthearted. In both cases the debates would be almost entirely student-run. Ide would simply lean back in his chair and watch the chaos ensue. These debates served as both a learning experience and a true way to connect with his students. Once, Ide let a student stand up in a debate, just to shut him down. This anecdote has a lesson buried within it somewhere, but the idea that someone should not stand to assert dominance is lost on me.

“He defines Hill and I’ll miss his presence. I am always comfortable in his classroom, and he is constantly looking out for people. He’s one of the hardest people to say goodbye to, but I’m thankful for everything he has done for me,” Guo stated.

Ide is a man worth remembering. His teaching, his smile, and his presence will be missed dearly. His humility and kindness can be felt by the entire community; he holds himself in a “my humility makes me better than you” way. From his students to his athletes, his advisees to his protégés, we can all take pride in knowing that he had an impact on our life.