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Madam Hooch role is described as Hogwarts' flying instructor.
Even though she does teach magic, she is not addressed as a professor.
I would imagine that, just like in the real world, to be called professor you would have to study yourself and have a degree, however, when Hagrid became the 'Care of Magical Creatures' teacher, he immediately received his title as a professor.
Even if technically students learn flying only for their first year, they still learn magic there, while on other classes, like 'Care of Magical Creatures' and 'History of Magic', they do not learn actual magic at all.

So why isn't Madam Hooch called professor while Hagrid is?

Mor Zamir
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    Highly related question. – Rand al'Thor Jun 21 '19 at 15:12
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    Broom flying is basically 'driver's ed' for wizards. The instructor for DE is often a professional driving instructor rather than a teacher and delivering a few classes every week or so doesn't make him or her one – Valorum Jun 21 '19 at 15:12
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    Madam Pomfrey is addressed the same and does not teach any classes. I assume that as flying isn't technically a class -- nor is medical care -- that these women are strictly employees of the school. After all, you can't run an entire school facility with only professors. She is likely only needed for short periods of time and is probably more of a part-time employee. – Steve-o169 Jun 21 '19 at 15:42
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    @Steve-o169- Madam is a generic term used in the wizarding community to refer to a woman, usually one in employment. – Valorum Jun 21 '19 at 19:14
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    Makes me wonder whether addressing teachers as "Professor" is in fact normal practice at (posh) Muggle schools in Britain. I have to assume that it is, but it seems odd, since at a British university (and unlike American universities) only the more senior academics are Professors. – Harry Johnston Jun 21 '19 at 22:26
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    @HarryJohnston No, it isn't. But since there would not seem to be anything equivalent to a university in the Wizarding education system, as a Brit I assumed that Hogwarts combined the functions of secondary and tertiary (university) education in some unspecified way, hence the use of "professor" for senior members of staff. You are right that to British ears the US English usage of "professor" to mean "any teacher" sounds like grade inflation! – alephzero Jun 22 '19 at 00:45
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    I'll point out that Hagrid does do original research - just look at the Blast-Ended Skrewts. – nick012000 Jun 22 '19 at 04:14
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    Just a note, since some people seem to know this as given, and don't include it in answers, but by your question, it seems you might not. In real world a professor is in many places a title given when somebody occupies a kind of position in a university. You don't just become a professor by earning a degree, but by being appointed to a position in university which gives you the title. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/38022/what-education-does-one-need-to-be-called-professor-in-the-united-states-of-am (I expect same in UK) – Gnudiff Jun 22 '19 at 05:14
  • Another related question. – Harry Johnston Jun 23 '19 at 01:23
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    My friend is a Professor at a university in the UK. His title is Doctor [earned], not Professor [tenure]. Professor is his 'job'. Also, mentioned elsewhere, any medical practitioner from student upwards is called 'doctor' whether they're fully qualified or not [supposedly to save confusion]. The confusion is re-entered with a passion in that senior consultants - the very top of their profession - are no longer addressed as Doctor, but as Mister. – Tetsujin Jun 23 '19 at 18:04
  • I'll point out that musicians in "sporting houses" in the US used to be called Professor. Or <*harrumph*> so I've heard... :-) – Bob Jarvis - Слава Україні Jun 24 '19 at 00:08
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    @Gnudiff Not just university either; some Gymnasiums (~14-18 or 10-18 years) have you address the teachers as "professors" too. – Luaan Jun 24 '19 at 07:22

3 Answers3

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In short, her position is closer to a 'Cycling Proficiency' or 'Driver's Ed' tutor than a professor. She's giving the kids a class funded by the school but she doesn't appear to have any duties above and beyond this (and the occasional refereeing task), nor is her tutelage marked and nor is it tested at O.W.L. level.

When the school brings in external trainers, it seems to call them 'instructors', not professors.

‘Good morning,’ said the Ministry wizard, when all the students had arrived and the Heads of House had called for quiet. ‘My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition Instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition test in this time –’

By comparison, when they make Hagrid a teacher of a tested subject (and when they bring in Madam Grubbly-Plank in as a substitute teacher), they're immediately considered to be Professors.

Valorum
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From this linked answer, we can deduce that:

  • Madam Hooch is not a permanent staff member (possibly retired)
  • She does not teach anything except broom practice (also Quiddich), which is not an academic subject, but rather practical (like driving school, or sports club).

Out-of-universe, it is a "Dr vs Mr/Ms" issue, where "Doctor" title is used only to address teachers having a formal Doctors degree, while other teachers are addressed as common people. Probably "professor" is the Wizarding World analogy to Doctor.

TimSparrow
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    The title of Professor is given to someone who is an acknowledged expert in their field, and teaches students, regardless of their own academic achievements. So a professor is not required to have obtained a doctorate in their field in order to teach. Throughout history in European colleges, many professors were also only "magisters", in that they had completed what we now call a masters degree and were teaching while working on their doctorate. – Seneca Jun 21 '19 at 16:22
  • No doctorate but I teach as an adjunct... most of my students call me "Professor" even though I tell them that was my dad and to just call me ivan – ivanivan Jun 21 '19 at 18:57
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    Real-world use of “professor”, both informally and as a formal title, varies hugely between different places/times/contexts. E.g. in modern American academia, it’s informally used for all university teachers and formally applied to many (certainly all tenured staff), while in British and most European academia, it’s the formal title for the most senior academics (roughly equivalent to “Chair” in US academia), and is usually only used in this sense. In the traditional British schools on which Hogwarts is modelled, I’m not sure how it was used, though “master” was the main title for teachers. – PLL Jun 22 '19 at 21:00
  • @Seneca: There is a difference between the academic "professor" and the educational "professor". While they often overlap (i.e. teachers have academic certification), that's not an automatic given. – Flater Jun 24 '19 at 10:08
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She doesn’t technically teach anything tested during O.W.L.s.

This is the only reason I can come up with.

SchoNuff
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