I am 22 years old and finally getting back into school to complete my BA. I am considering the possibility of a career in education, but am undecided as to the grade level I would be interested in teaching. If there are any current teachers, or anyone else who might have answers to any of these questions, I would greatly appreciate your feedback.
Thank you!

1. What are some necessary qualities to be successful in this field?
2. What are the pros and cons of public school vs private school?
3. What is the average salary of a new teacher in New York State? How often/much does pay typically increase?
4. I am currently declared an English major, but have not taken a significant number of courses- the majority of my credits are electives or gen eds, so I can easily change my major. What major(s) and minor(s) would you recommend to make me an effective and marketable teacher? Will a BA be sufficient, or is an MA required to begin teaching?
5. Is it difficult to progress from elementary/high school teacher to college professor? Do schools typically provide any kind of financial assistance for furthering your education?

Any other advice aside from answers to these questions would be welcome as well.

Thanks again!

Question one can have many answers - depending on who you ask.
1. Necessary qualities:
1. honesty 2. commitment 3. flexibility 3. creativity 4. sense of balance 5. democratic - not the party but the attitude of listening to all sides before making decisions 6. respectful 7. consistent 8. realistic 9. being teachable 10. Acknowledges and applies standards of teaching and ethics
There are many more necessary qualities and you can read resources from other websites:
Sufi Amanesis: Qualities of a Teacher
ASCD Blog: ASCD Poll: Qualities of Teacher Leaders

2. pros and cons of public vs private schools:
Adventures in Parenting: Private vs. Public school - weighing the pros and cons
Berkeley Parents Network: Private School vs. Public School
pros and cons of public vs private school - Google Search

3. average pay of new teacher in NY?
According to the NEA, the average starting salary for a teacher in NY is $42,512.00. The average teacher makes a little over $59,000.00. Teachers are contracted employees so the raises may be up to the school board. Just an aside, in New Jersey, first time teachers are going to be receiving $50,000.00 in some districts. NEA: Professional Pay - News

4. Your major to be an effective teacher?
What grades do you want to teach? Pre-school, grade school, middle school, high school, college? Do you want to go into Special Education? You need to pick some area - you cannot get credentialed for all of them at the same time. You pick what you like - picking a major just to make you marketable does not play out well. You may come to resent your choice. A Bachelor's degree will get you started in teaching. You can decide from there if you want to pursue a Master's or even a Ph. D. I have known many teachers who have gone back to college to get a degree in Administration, so they can move into administrative positions in the school system.

5. Transitions:
It is not difficult to transition from grade school to middle school or to high school but you will need additional schooling and certification. There is financial assistance out there but you may not be eligible for grants, since you will already have a degree. BUT there are organizations out there and resources for teachers who want to go back to upgrade their teaching and advance careers. There are times the school or the school district will aid the teacher. I worked for a private school that sent a teacher's aid back to college to get her special ed degree - she was two years short. They paid for it all! The only thing she had to do was sign an agreement to work for them for five years. What is five years? Not much in the scheme of things.

Also consider applying for a Fellowship: NYCTF - FAQ - FAQ

Sorry this is so long. How much have you read through NEA or other teacher organizations?
NEA: National Education Association
Educational Associations

I haven't been able to research very much because I really didn't know where to start. I just recently realized that this might be the direction I would want to go in- but still thinking. I work at a bank right now- worked at an answering service before this- and any time I'm in a role where I'm doing training, putting together training materials, workshops, classes, etc... I love it and feel totally in my element.
Not that I'm passionate about the actual nature of my job (I loathe banks- lol)- but just being able to break something down, explain it to someone who doesn't understand, and then watch them catch on and be able to do things they couldn't do before... I love it.
I love kids, and think I could enjoy grade school. But I also love discussions and debates and engaging people intellectually, which I think would put me more in the sphere of college courses- or maybe I could have that in a high school if I get lucky with a decent group of kids...
One more question.
This might be an issue for me, but I'm not sure:
I'm a lesbian. And I've seen things on the news before about gay teachers being singled out as dangerous to have around kids, parents who are all outraged about their kids being 'exposed' to someone of 'that lifestyle'.
If I become a teacher, am I going to have to hide that aspect of my life? For example, whereas most teachers can talk in passing about their spouses, will I need to never mention my partner in the classroom?
Legally, I'm assuming that anti-discrimination laws should cover that.
But any experience regarding parent's reactions to their children having a gay teacher?
Just curious for some feedback on that as well.
It's sad, but something so simple and harmless could potentially cause me problems- and I just want to know what I'm getting into.
Thanks again.

Being a lesbian should not be a factor in being accepted as a teacher. There are laws against discrimination based on gender preferences. For myself, I would not look at my child's teacher differently if I knew she was gay. My oldest son - his third grade teacher was gay and that guy was an awesome teacher! People just loved him. His private life was just that. Private. I do remember some parents getting upset and threatening to pull their children out of the school, but no one followed through with it. I don't pretend to completely understand one's same sex preferences but I am not out to defame or criticize anyone that does.

Have you read about the GLAAD association? glaad: Fair, Accurate and Inclusive Representation
There is also a book called, "One Teacher in 10: gay and lesbian educators tell their stories" edited by Kevin Jennings. Maybe you would find some help in that book.
There is this article, "What Are the Civil Rights for Gay and Lesbian Teachers" -
Where Are the Civil Rights for Gay and Lesbian Teachers? - Human Rights Magazine, Summer 1997

*sigh*
It'll really suck to have parents threatening to pull their kids out of school over it... kind of makes you feel shameful when there's no reason to be. But... if that's what I have to deal with, I guess I'll just take it in stride and keep moving.
Thanks for all the info though- I'm definitely going to dedicate some time to thoroughly read through it all.
I really really appreciate it!

You are welcome. It is a shame that some people act like a gay or lesbian carries some contagious disease. Some states are more open minded and the rest should be. I do not have an answer for hatred. Tolerance and acceptance is taught all the time yet the primary reinforcer is still what goes on at home.

Good luck to you!