Maria Johnson

Teacher, Owner and Manager

Maria Johnson is a qualified primary and early childhood educator with more than 40 years of classroom experience alongside teachers, children and families. She holds degrees in primary and early childhood education and has specialist training in Integrated Listening Systems. An award-winning education leader in New Zealand, she was recently a finalist in the national Leadership Awards and has received several awards for her contribution to pedagogy and professional development. She has founded and led seven early childhood centres in New Zealand, embedding neuroscience-informed, movement-based and relational approaches in daily practice, with a focus on the neurodevelopmental foundations that support academic progress, social confidence and emotional regulation. In 2025 she began working with educators in Saudi Arabia to implement brain-aligned teaching practices in early childhood settings, where improvements in engagement and learning readiness have been observed, and her aim is to translate neuroscience into practical classroom strategies so that no child is left behind.