This text presents a reflection about possible crossing points that the process of democratization of access to school promotes in school cultures. It focuses on narratives produced about teachers’ practices, seeking to elucidate how the pedagogic relationship constitutes itself in view of social behavior patterns of contemporary young people. Ethnographic reports were considered, combined with in depth interviews with teachers of a private school in the Brazilian city of Caxias do Sul/RS. The theoretical support considers formulations of authors linked to sociology and cultural history. The field work enabled us to identify different readings of reality, generally associated with personal aspects, time spent teaching, and the challenges of educational and sociocultural contexts in contemporary education.