Naturalistic ethnographic research methods useful for the study of the dynamics of effective college teaching are discussed based on the findings of an ethnographic study. Naturalistic research methods were used in the study to understand better the task and social dimensions of a college classroom. Lessons were studied in the classroom as they naturally took place. Multiple methods were used to attain data from the perspective of the instructor, students, and researcher. A descriptive model of class dynamics was developed that describes how the lesson developed, how behaviors were interpreted and instructional decisions made, and how roles change. These dynamics are represented in a flow diagram, instructor decision tables, and analytic summaries of key parts of the system. The method and findings have implications for interaction theory and for improving college instruction. (SW)