Maria Johnson

Maria Johnson is a qualified primary and early childhood educator with over 40 years of classroom experience working alongside teachers, children, and families. She holds degrees in both Primary and Early Childhood Education and has completed specialist training in Integrated Listening Systems (ILS).
An award-winning education leader in New Zealand, Maria was most recently recognised as a finalist in the national Leadership Awards and has received multiple awards for her contribution to pedagogy and professional development.
Maria has founded and led seven early childhood centres in New Zealand, embedding neuroscience-informed, movement-based, and relational approaches into daily practice. Her work focuses on strengthening the neurodevelopmental foundations that support academic progress, social confidence, and emotional regulation.
In 2025, she began collaborating with educators in Saudi Arabia to implement brain-aligned teaching practices within early childhood settings, where measurable improvements in engagement and learning readiness have been observed.
Her professional mission is to advance early childhood education globally by translating neuroscience into practical classroom strategies -changing education around the world so that no child is left behind.