I do remember when I was training. It always felt as if I hadn't quite mastered something before moving on. However if we went back to that particular exercise later it always seemed easy. I think this is the sign of a good instructor, to push you on at a pace which they assess you can take. To the student, this will always seem as if you are behind the curve. I do think this is the correct way, otherwise you will spend a lot more time on your training.
So, G-EMMA, it sounds like your instructor did the right thing and let you handle the situation rather than just taking over the controls. Maybe you didn't handle it perfectly, but there was no midair, you landed with no damage or injury ...and you learnt a lot. So all in all it was a valuable experience, even if the other pilot was at best discourteous.
You were outside your comfort zone, but will now know what to do if something similar occurs again....and yes, you should speak with the other pilot if you see him/her in the clubhouse.