ma'am

Yeah, I agree, the most common usage of the term "madam" I hear per se is its use to refer to a female pimp, and even then that's not particularly often.

So how do you call your teacher then ?

I don't have any personal problem with ma'am. I've always taken it to be just a US dialectual form (or even a diminutive) of madam. In Australia, we don't use ma'am, generally madam with one exception. In the highly polite environment of the courts, counsel will usually address a female judge using ma'am.

Sir or Mister - I'd personally use Sir in a formal situation, and although Mister would be just acceptable, it just doesn't appeal to my ears. I think because Mr can be used in a sarcastic way.

In regard to teachers, in Aust, it always was Mr/Mrs/Miss and then the surname. I suppose sir could be used, but I never heard it being used, probably because it was a slightly less formal setting than say two strangers speaking in a consumer transaction. We were however allowed to use the first letter of the surname following the title, such that for example Miss Smith would become Miss S.

"We were however allowed to use the first letter of the surname following the title, such that for example Miss Smith would become Miss S."

That includes addressing the teacher directly.

<<Travis and Kirk,so what term do you use instead ?>>

Nothing. "You" works just fine. If I need to grab someone's attention, I'll say "excuse me"--it doesn't need to be followed by any forms of address, and actually works as a form of address in that kind of context.

<<And it is the correct word to use when addressing a female officer of higher rank than oneself.>>

Do you mean a cop? I would address them as "officer" no matter the gender. Or do you mean in business? I guess if I were in a high-powered business meeting and I didn't have a close relationship with someone my first guess would be to call them "Mr./Ms." but even then I know of lots of people in business who prefer to be called by their first name. With parents of my friends or other older or "higher-ranking" adult acquaitances my first instinct would be to use their first name because using "Mr./Ms." is just really awkward, unnecessarily formal and distant as I was raised, and is simply almost always out of place according to cultural norms are here.

<<Curious, I don't use any term for such, really....even the titles "mister", "misses", and "miss", besides a set of rather limited usages>>

It's the same here, too. I can't think of the last time I ever used "Mr./Ms."

<<So how do you call your teacher then ?>>

That was the only time I ever used "Mr./Ms." because those terms of address are still common and the norm in school. Now that I'm in college I just say "Professor _____" if the professor hasn't asked to be called by their first name.

Travis and Kirk. It may be weird sounding or not something heard in your region much or at all but 'Ma'am' is what it is.

From MSN Encarta Dictionary (or other dictionaries too):

ma’am [ mam ] noun
1. formal form of address: used when addressing royal women or other women of high status ( formal )

2. respectful form of address: used when addressing a woman in a polite and respectful way ( dated informal )
[Mid-17th century. Contraction of madam.]

When I was in school, my classmates and I would call our teachers by whatever was acceptable - the first name(usually the young ones requested us to), Mr. or Mrs. So and So or the extremely.. popular.. term: Miss or Sir -- all throughout school. Miss, Madam and Sir are also commonly used in the places of business if you're a stranger i.e. store, restaurant, someone asking for directions to somewhere, the time..

And for University lecturers, it depended on their rank. A chaired professor would be professor then name or "prof" then name. Doctor is used formally for PhD graduates. I suppose it would be Master or Mistress technically for a Masters graduate but I think in reality they would be addressed in Mr, Mrs, Miss etc

Is "ma'am" still used in England? It was certainly in use in the 19th century and early 20th century, judging from the literature (but not with the same vowel sound the Americans use).

Deborah - maybe, don't they more pronounce it like "marm" though instead of "mam"?

Frances, I take it "marm" is meant to be pronounced non-rhotically, and if that's the case, then, yes.