Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) has disrupted teaching situations around the world. In Mexico, the first term taught with ERT was characterized by an abrupt transition that caught many institutions and teachers unprepared. The second term of ERT was a more planned process where training was provided to teachers; nevertheless, little is known about how English teachers approached online teaching in response to a shifting, complex teaching situation. This phenomenographic study aimed at characterizing the approaches to e-teaching of a group of sixteen Mexican ELT and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) faculty members in connection with their perceptions of the teaching situation. Interviews, discovery-based coding, and theme analysis were used. The findings show that many teachers adhered to less sophisticated approaches, in part due to negative perceptions of the teaching situation. A minority held complex, collaboration-focused approaches to e-teaching. However, some teachers with negative views implemented sophisticated approaches, while some who held complex views could not implement them due to constraints in the teaching situation and their personal lives. The digital gap and student dishonesty and disengagement were among the negative elements of the teaching situation that had an impact on teachers’ approaches. These findings suggest that teachers need more training in collaborative, knowledge-building approaches and governments need to do more to address the digital gap.