From Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to Grant Wiggins' Understanding by Design, there is plenty of strong research, literature and practice indicating we should begin with the end in mind. Additionally, there are times to consider the context of the "beginnings." Not a contradiction to Covey or Wiggins at all, there are moments to reflect on where your work has been, where it is, and where it's going--to begin with a deeper sense of the beginning in mind, and a consideration of the continuum in which that beginning is situated.
You may be working on a personal or professional project, in which case you may, as Covey writes, "envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes." Or you may be helping students meet specific goals and standards, in which case you may, as Wiggins states, "derive the curriculum from the evidence of learning (performances) called for by the standard and the teaching needed to equip students to perform." In some cases we have to imagine an end, and in others, we clearly know it, and have to make sure we get there effectively given the story of who or what we are working with. Either way, there is usually more to the story than we have time to grasp.
When There's Time to Reflect
Whether you're a scientist or poet, an artist or explorer, or all of them and more, you'd be challenged to find the beginning of your thinking, or of a project, talent or skill. There is always something that has come before. To find beginnings, we reflect. We may have nothing at our disposal but ideas, an old friend or some loosely connected, documented evidence to guide us. Especially as learners carrying out skills, working on tasks, and finding out or showing evidence of new things, beginning is usually just another way to say continuing.
While the beginning of something might actually not be that hard to articulate ("My father gave me a saxophone"; "I started learning algebra earlier than most kids, when my brother shared his perfect score on a test with me"), it's worth taking a closer look at the traces of our thinking and learning, or at how what we're working on is related to other works in theme, time or place. This is worth doing even as a short exercise to help students deepen and expand their perspective of their learning and their work. As always, learning stories, in all forms written, spoken, filmed or designed, are good ways to make something of that perspective and share it, and can both interpret and reflect the evidence of what has been learned. Learning stories can set up more intentional beginnings later on.
As an educator, I've heard the phrase, "beginning with the end in mind," quite a bit. And it's just good practice. As someone passionate about reflection, and about helping students cultivate ownership of and authenticity in their education, I thought I'd use another popular phrase to help play with that one. Actively reflect on what you're bringing to beginnings, and Carry On with the Context of Your Learning in Mind. Of course, Keep Calm too.