Effective written feedback is crucial to student learning and developing writing skills. Responding to student writing is a multifaceted and complex process that requires a more nuanced understanding of second language writing research. This study explored teachers' beliefs and practices about written feedback, which may be influenced by a range of factors. Data were collected from four middle-school English teachers in China via stimulated recall tasks and semi-structured interviews reflecting retrospectively on how and why teachers gave feedback to student writing. Findings revealed intersections between feedback strategy and learner proficiency level; feedback scope and time constraints, including teacher workload; and feedback focus and contextual factors. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to teacher professional development, contextualized teacher education, and the changing landscape of written feedback practices in the age of AI.