What Am I? (Stream of Thought)

I think what people don't understand about teachers is that we are so much more than just teachers.  What is a teacher, anyway?  Are we simply those who educate?  Are we those who develop intellect?  Well, yes, hopefully, but we're also counselors, mentors, examples at all times, parents, mediators, actors and actresses, guardians, and peace keepers.  We are managers and planners and organizers and creative thinkers.  We run entire communities. 
My job is more than a lesson plan and a grade.  My job is six hours of "always-on-my-game" plus another four of everything else.  When other people are starting their first break, I'm also starting mine except that my first break is my 20-minute lunch out of my 10-hour day.  When my kids have great days, I have to have a great day.  When my kids have horrible days, I have to have a great attitude anyway.  When my kids experience tragedy, I am their constancy.  I get them to think, do, listen, and feel.  I get them to care.  I get them to imagine.  I love them completely through nurturing and discipline.  I exemplify grace.  When I work through my exhaustion, I teach them what that looks like by staying positive, energetic, and honest.  I don't hide myself.  I live their lives with them.  I treat them like adults.  I respect them.  I don't look down on them or what I do - I truly went into teaching because I love what I do.
I had a student say today say "there are very few teachers who say that who aren't full of BS."  When I responded that I hoped he felt I am one of the few, he knew very clearly that I am.  Yes, there are teachers who are completely worn out and those who have given up on the school system more so than even those complaining parents.  That's because we are not respected.  What we do is not understood by anyone outside of the others who do it along side us.  And then I come to the end of my week and while everyone else around me is tired, I am completely drained.  I have given my all to what I love and I have nothing left for myself.  I know this isn't good.  I know I need to be better and more balanced.  If only who I am personally and professionally made sense to the world around me, maybe then I'd have it all together.