User blog comment:Hidden Scorpius XI/My Impressions on RWBY Chibi, Episode 2/@comment-3257939-20160516031404/@comment-26397825-20160516034052

I think a lot of people are thinking of the relationship between the students and teachers as High School relationships, in which case yes it would be weird to call a teaher by the first name.

But Beacon is a college, not a high school. It's perfectly normal for college students to refer to teachers by their first names; they're all adults and they're all going to be working in the same field soon enough. To get into the habit of calling a teacher Professor Goodwitch would just create unnecessary awkwardness when the students graduate and have to make their way into the work force - which may include having to do missions with their old professors. In a job that includes protecting mankind, you don't want awkwardness to come between the people on the job because the younger ones have to work through trying to get out of the habit of calling their old teachers by their titles. That could be the difference between Glynda getting a warning on time and dodging an attack, and not getting the warning on time and being hit.