In higher education, educators establish complex learning outcomes for students to achieve during their collegiate studies. These outcomes, given their complexity, necessitate an advanced approach to studying the teaching and learning process as it unfolds in real time. We brought together extant literature and our own research experience studying teaching and learning in higher education to develop a critical and integrative approach to classroom observations. We view this approach as a way to direct researchers' attention to the interactions among various aspects of the classroom, including power and privilege dynamics, rather than isolating disparate parts for inquiry. We offer guidance and tools for researchers to consider and potentially advance through their own application of this approach. We also explain the challenges of this approach.