Although there is nothing inherently focused about an observation log, presumably the observers have been trained to record only teacher and student behavior directly related to the pedagogy of mathematics instruction. This narrowing-in makes the recording process manageable because the observer can ignore categories of behavior that are irrelevant to the purpose of the observation, such as taking attendance or collecting homework. The log has the advantage of capturing specific instructional examples from each teacher’s lesson. Furthermore, the format of the log is so open-ended as to be adaptable across all grade levels and instructional topics (in this case, mathematics). The "topic" form of the instrument provides an opportunity for the observer to summarize his or her observations according to specific math pedagogy topics, providing specific evidence as called for.