For inference in logistic regression, it would be easier to think in terms of log odds instead of odds. A simple logistic regression model is a generalized linear model with the form
$$
\newcommand{\logit}{\rm logit}
\newcommand{\odds}{\rm odds}
\newcommand{\expit}{\rm expit}
\logit(\pi_i) = \beta_0 + \beta_1X_{i1},
$$
where $\logit(\pi_i) = \log(\frac{\pi_i}{1-\pi_i}) = \log(\odds(\pi_i))$. Notice that it has the exact same form as linear regression with a Bernoulli-distributed transformed dependent variable. This has the more intuitive interpretation that for every increase in $X_{i1}$, the expected log odds in favor of $X_{i1}$ increase by $\beta_1$.
If you want to interpret the model in terms of odds, you just have to exponentiate the logit, which is what you initially assumed. This gives you $\odds(\pi_i) = \exp(\beta_0 + \beta_1X_{i1})$, and not $\odds(\pi_i) = \frac{\exp(\beta_0 + \beta_1X_{i1})}{1 + \exp(\beta_0 + \beta_1X_{i1})}$. The interpretation in this case is that for every increase in $X_{i1}$, the expected odds in favor of $Y_i = 1$ increase by $\exp(\beta_1)$. I think either you or your professor got odds and probability mixed up in your professor's explanation.
If you want to draw inference on probabilities, you need to invert the $\logit$ transformation by taking the $\expit$ of both sides, where $\expit(x) = \frac{\exp(x)}{1 + \exp(x)}$. In that case, we have $\pi_i = \frac{\exp(\beta_0 + \beta_1X_{i1})}{1 + \exp(\beta_0 + \beta_1X_{i1})}$ as our expected probability that $Y_i=1$. In this case, it is difficult to draw inference in terms of probabilities, which is why we transform back to probabilities by taking the expit of our expected log odds.
