The study aimed to analyse critical incidents affecting classroom participation among students in a municipal school in the Valparaiso region, Chile. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, critical incidents were collected through written records made by 13 seventh and eighth grade students, which describe unexpected situations affecting classroom participation. Additionally, interviews and visual techniques were applied to address their perspectives. The results highlight incidents of indifference and hostile treatment initiated by teachers, eliciting proactive or passive responses from students. Incidents initiated by students reveal issues of coexistence and offensive behaviour among peers, with similar reactions. Consequences ranged from warnings to sanctions, indicating the persistence of the problem. These findings underscore tensions between student and adult culture, revealing conflicted pedagogical dynamics driven by power relations and the imposition of adult-centric logic, contrasted with student passivity and a lack of self-critique.