Wanting to teach from a young age, Maureen T. Massie-Bales knew as soon as she started kindergarten that that was what she wanted to do. She began her professional career as a first-grade teacher within the North St. Francois County School District in Bonne Terre, Missouri, in 1977, remaining in this position for a decade before becoming a fourth-grade teacher within the Lindbergh School District in St. Louis from 1987 to 1989. She then instructed teaching methods at Central Methodist College of Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Missouri, from 1991 to 2001, while also teaching kindergarten through third grade and fifth grade within the Farmington School District from 1998 to 2001. Following this, she taught gifted education within the school district from 2001 to 2008. Presently, Ms. Massie-Bales instructs teaching methods in the school district since 1989 and Mineral Area College since 2001, and is a part-time instructional coach within the North St. Francois County School District since 2008.
Prior to the start of her career, Ms. Massie-Bales pursued a formal education at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri, where she attained a Bachelor of Arts in child study in 1977 and a Master of Arts in teaching in 1990. She was also certified in gifted education in 2009, as well as certified to teach kindergarten through eighth grade in the State of Missouri.
Active in her local community, Ms. Massie-Bales was a volunteer teacher at Project Head Start in Farmington from 1975 to 1976 and served on the board of directors for the Farmington Soccer Advisory Board from 1991 to 1993. Directly after, she served as an assistant youth group leader for the Teenage Ministry from 1993 to 2000 and co-chair of the resource committee of the Habitat for Humanity of St. Francois County in Farmington from 1997 to 2004. Today, Ms. Massie-Bales is the chair pastor of the parish relations committee of the Libertyville United Methodist Church since 2003. She was also previously a lay leader for the First United Methodist Church of Park Hills.
Outside of her primary trade, Ms. Massie-Bales has chaired the Mineral Area Indivisible since 2017. She has also maintained involvement with other organizations related to her field such as the Missouri National Education Association and the Missouri Retired Teachers Association. Throughout her career, Ms. Massie-Bales’ personal philosophy was to recognize her gifts and talents, to commit to lifelong learning, to have discipline and integrity, to seek purpose and leave a legacy of excellence.
In light of her myriad accomplishments, Ms. Massie-Bales received two incentive grants from the State of Missouri’s Project Aiding Children’s Education State in 1991 and the Truman Learning Centers Group in 1994, respectively. Likewise, she was awarded a Learn and Service State Grant between 1998 and 2000, a Read to be Ready Grant in 2000, and a How and Why of Science Grant in 2000. Furthermore, Ms. Massie-Bales was selected for inclusion in several editions of Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.