For decades, higher education institutions such as Yale, Harvard, and Penn State University have recognized the value of implementing visual literacy teaching strategies in seemingly the most unlikely of places: the classrooms of future medical professionals. These schools, and many others, require their medical students to partake in robust art-based education programs. It is a trend that is steadily gaining traction. These schools have discovered the far-reaching benefits that visual literacy has on the overall performance of their students. Organizations, such as the American Association of Medical Colleges and the Association of College and Resource Libraries concur and implore all colleges and universities to follow suit. Still, there continues to be a lack of interest or understanding about the benefits of building visual literacy skills in K-12 schools. This phenomenological research study introduces findings that suggest the need for a wider embrace of visual literacy skills in K-12 education. The researcher documented educators' lived experiences with using visual literacy teaching strategies in their daily classroom practices. The participants, who teach a range of academic disciplines in urban and suburban K-12 schools, engaged in one-on-one interviews in which they shared insights about their methodologies and the perceived impact visual teaching has on student learning. Emergent themes include a. effective vocabulary building; b. improved memory and information retention; c. promotion of independence and confidence; and d. concreteness of abstract concepts. Additional sub-themes of a. improved communication with English Language Learners; b. application of independent thinking; c. overall improvement in student behavior; and d. building positive cultural connections were also noted. These findings indicate a need for awareness and action about visual literacy in professional development and university-level teacher training programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]