Probation

"Jus' busy, yeh know, usual stuff lessons ter prepare - couple o' salamanders got scale rot - an' I'm on probation." "You're on probation? Sorry - I mean - you're on probation?" "Yeah. S'no more'n I expected, ter tell yeh the truth. Yeh migh' not've picked up on it, bu' that inspection didn' go too well, yeh know…"

- Exchange between Hagrid and Ron

Probation was a disciplinary status that teachers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry could be placed under, with a possible eye towards Dismissal if their teaching standards did not improve.

During his time as Headmaster, Armando Dippet placed Care of Magical Creatures Professor Silvanus Kettleburn on sixty-two periods of probation, though he never found cause to dismiss him. Kettleburn continued to serve the school under Albus Dumbledore until his retirement in 1993.

Hogwarts High Inquisitor
As part of her role as Hogwarts High Inquisitor, Dolores Umbridge was granted the power to inspect teachers, which the supposed purpose of eventually removing those not found to be up to the educational standards set by the Ministry of Magic. In actuality, this was an excuse to harass teachers found to be loyal to Albus Dumbledore.

Upon inspecting a teacher, Umbridge could choose to place that teacher on probation, a power she used to great effect. She first placed Sybill Trelawney on probation and began inspecting all future lessons of hers, eventually dismissing her from her teaching post. Rubeus Hagrid was also placed under probation, though he escaped from Hogwarts and went into hiding, rather than allowing himself to be formally dismissed. Severus Snape was also briefly placed on probation after he stated to Umbridge that it would take a month for him to procure Veritaserum in order for her pursue her goal of interrogating Harry Potter. This period of probation lasted less than a day, however, as Umbridge was soon removed from her post as Hogwarts High Inquisitor.