Observation is a fundamental process in science. It is a skill that many science curricula emphasize. It seems like such a simple skill, but observation skills are not quite so simply mastered. Like anything else, just watching and observing does little to improve the skill. In order to improve, we must pay explicit attention to how and why we observe in science. In this issue, we explore what it means to observe and how to teach skills that will lead to more thoughtful observations.