one way (which i highly recommend) is by buying some introduction to maya dvds. some start off by introducing the way maya works. ie. workflow. some other dvds start off with a project and along the way they explain each tool and how to use it.
digital tutors
gnomonworkshop
of course those are just some of the dvds that are out there.
but those might help you out some.
A pint of example is worth a gallon of advice!!