Ms. Eichenser’s math classes have been bustling with excitement since the arrival of her new red lizard catfish, named “Mother Function,” that she got at the beginning of March. This new fish has since joined Eichenser’s betta fish, “Concavity,” in her classroom tank.
She received Concavity as a gift from her 8th period class for Christmas, right before Christmas break. Concavity was named by the students in her 8th period class. Sticking to the math theme, students decided on the name “Concavity,” which is a math term that means “the rate at which a function’s derivative changes.” Students often joke about what direction the fish is facing, and whether it is “concave up” or “concave down.”
After a few months of having Concavity, Eichenser decided that the fish needed a friend, so she bought her red lizard catfish, Mother Function. Eichenser was very selective on which species of fish would be the best fit and get along well with the betta fish.
Eichenser comments, “The red lizard catfish is a peaceful, calm fish that will not antagonize the betta, which is not a peaceful, calm fish. The betta is very territorial, so this one is not going to encroach on his territory. I also got him because he is an algae eater, so I won’t have to clean the tank as much.”
Along with buying a new larger tank that has a better filter, Mother Function will be a great help in keeping the tank clean.
When the time came to decide on a name for the new fish, Eichenser put it up to her students. Students first wrote their ideas for fish names on the classroom whiteboard, keeping them math related for the most part. Then, there was a question on their most recent math test where they had the opportunity to vote for which name out of the options they liked most. The name “Mother Function” ended up winning by 18 votes, with names like “The Quad Father,” and “Gravity” as runners-up.
Overall, the presence of the two pet fish in Eichenser’s classroom has been exciting for both Eichenser and the students.
Sophomore Brooke Bishop remarks, “It is fun looking forward to seeing both of the fish every time I have class and hearing updates on how they are doing. It was also fun picking out the name and seeing everyone else’s suggestions. These fish make great class pets!”
