What did Chips realize about himself?

Mr. Chips reminisces about his long career at Brookfield school, covering much of the Victorian era and World War I. The novel charts not only his career but parallel events in English history, especially World War I.
As a young man, Mr. Chips had been ambitious. He wanted to advance his career, and administration rather than teaching offered that hope of advancement. Chips was strict with his students, but he often teased them in hopes of lightening their load. Although he was glad to be selected and honorably served his terms as headmaster, Chips soon realized that he was temperamentally a teacher and not a headmaster. He threw himself into teaching and felt lucky when he learned about the impact he had on graduates who went on to have meaningful experiences regardless of consequences.