Received an email today from a colleague, sort of middle management. Officious, critical, unjust - actually plain rude. Not the first time. This person contrives through her pettiness and nastiness to make things at times quite intolerable. Above all, her petty criticisms make me angry, upset, confused- all at once.
The latest is around getting students signed up to exams (we both work part time in adult education) - she's claiming that I've made a shed load of admin mistakes with the registration. It's not true at all - I work very hard and if I make occasional mistakes, which no doubt I do, they are not for want of trying. I get stuck in - take a full part in the life of our department.
She has made some very serious blunders herself ie enrolling students who are not eligible for our courses. She isn't popular with admin and other teaching colleagues because she is so over bearing.
But right now, I am very unhappy. I'd like to tell her that or at least that I won't be accused of doing things badly when I have given, in my own time, of my best. Yes, I fall short - of course. But a decent colleague would pick up the phone - not email and copy it to all and sundry - and say "Do you want a helping hand/How's it going?' etc.
Should I let this go - again? Should I stand up to her? Of course, at the back of my mind is my ultimate boss - would making a stand impact on references etc because this middle management person is a proper telling of tales.
At times like this, I just wish that my mum was here to chat to, advise, and tell me, as she so often did, that 'It's her problem'.
Sorry guys - just feeling got at (again) and low. Thanks for listening.