observation: doing nothing is boring

I often like to think of myself as a sociologist. One of the defining roles of a sociologist is to make observations. While it is this very methodology that causes other scientists to look down on sociology, it what I love about my field. Any time I'm in a new place or situation, I take time to simply observe my surroundings.
Eventually, my task in job #1 will be to work in small-groups teaching 3rd grade math. But for now, my assignment has been to observe. Three times this week, I've gone into the classroom to sit and observe: 1. the teacher- her rules, her discipline, her teaching style 2. the students- their attitudes, their abilities, their learning styles 3. the classroom- the environment, the interactions, the class as a group. Each of these days, the required two and a half hours have felt incredibly long (even though I wasn't even there the full time). Why? Because strictly sitting and observing is very boring. As humans, we are meant to interact with our environments.
I've wondered if it might seem particularly boring to me because I've been a teacher in a classroom. Much of what I'm observing, I experienced firsthand last year. I find myself supressing my "inner teacher". This is not my classroom, and I cannot overstep the boundaries and my responsibilities. This week, the only responsibility given to me is to observe the class. I cannot intervene when students are talking when they should be quiet. I cannot serve as a reference point for students who don't understand.
No, I just sit, watch, listen, process, and make notes.
And it is very boring.

I wrote this entry in my notebook during the kids' writing time. There isn't too much to observe when kids are doing individual work.