Rieko Wagoner graduated from Sophia (Jochi) University in 1979 in Tokyo with a B.A. in English, from University of Wisconsin-Madison with an M.A. in Japanese Language and Literature in 1981, and a Master's in Library and Information Science in 1985.  Her training focuses on Japanese pedagogy, Japanese culture and bibliography.  She taught at Wesleyan University, and summer programs at UW-Madison, Harvard University and Middlebury College.  She has been teaching at Trinity College since 1987.

Her pedagogical method is firmly grounded in physical involvement of students in classroom in order to develop their spontaneous and natural linguistic skills.  She firmly believes in, and wishes to help students to achieve, global citizenship by opening their doors to the language and culture of Japan.