Word problem solving involves the construction of two different mental representations, namely, mathematical and situational. Although educational research in word problem solving has documented different kinds of instruction at these levels, less is known about how both representational levels are evoked during word problem solving in day-to-day learning environments. The aim of this descriptive work is to analyze how mainstream teachers promote mathematical and situational knowledge while solving mathematically and situationally reworded word problems. The results suggest that word problem solving is faced by teachers as a mechanical and non-reflexive task which involves limited situational knowledge. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)