This article focuses on the uses of and interactions about popular culture and social media in order to examine school-positive practices and social identification. Through analysis of various kinds of interactional data, I argue that the focal participant of the study is not identified as the widely recognizable social type “nerd” despite her performance of practices associated with such a social position. I investigate practices taking place outside the classroom and show how a focus solely on students’ interactions inside a classroom will not always provide an adequate portrait of students’ affiliations with school and of their learning potential. The study also provides evidence that social media and popular cultural practices can facilitate school-positive practices and educational agendas and can therefore advantageously be embraced in school.