Considering the triadic and situated perspective of human cognition and the concepts of joint commitment, normativity and situativity, we approach the facts and characters presented in the film The Class, specially the behavior of the student-character called Esmeralda. The interaction between students and teachers is observed in terms of its purpose, which, differently from the idealization that the goal of teaching is learning, is shown to be focused on approval. This differentiation brings about the understanding that people's real roles and actions in the classroom are very distinct from what is idealized for them in our society. Such assumptions are commented on when it comes to the teaching and learning of Portuguese as a mother tongue in Brazil.
Joint Commitment; Normativity; Situativity; Cognition; Portuguese Teaching-learning