Shaman totems while leveling (elemental) and Resto help

While leveling it will be fairly rare that you'll drop totems -- they're just not worth the mana cost for single mobs.

However, if you have a pack of elites, Stoneclaw and Magma Totem can be worth the drop.

At 80 (depending on spec, who's in the raid, and ignoring any "special" scenarios such as fear, elemental damage, etc.) I usually drop:

Totem of Wrath or Flametongue (Resto)

Strength of Earth or Stoneskin

Healing or Mana Stream -- depends on whether or not another shaman is covering mana or if you have blessing of wisdom available.

Wrath of Air

This answer varies a lot depending on what level you are and which totems you have. You don't get all 4 until level 30.

1. Earth at level 4
2. Fire at level 10
3. Water at level 20
4. Air at level 30

Each of these is unlocked by a quest, and then the actual totem spells come from the shaman trainer.

Because you graduate into totems, there's more of a progression down each chain.

Earth

Strength of Earth Totem will be your base totem to drop in the set for the first 20-30 levels. If you're going Elemental or Resto, you'll want to use Stoneskin Totem instead.

If you're fighting things that like to run away replace it with Earthbind.

If YOU need to run away, drop a Stoneclaw Totem.

Fire

Searing Totem until you get Flametongue Totem at 28. Situationally you'll drop Magma Totem or Fire Elemental Totem once you have them.

If you're going down the Elemental path, you'll switch to Totem of Wrath once you get that talent at level 50.

Water

Mana Spring Totem or Healing Stream Totem, whichever you're needing most.

Air

The first air totem you get is Grounding Totem, which is more of a situational totem since it has such a short life. Drop it whenever a mob is casting a big spell.

At 32 you get Windfury Totem; if you are melee spec this will be your main totem from here on. Casters will probably just stick to Nature Resist Totem until they hit 64 and gain Wrath of Air Totem which is your main use for Elemental and Resto.

At level 80:

• Melee: Strength of Earth, Flametongue, Mana Spring, Windfury
• Caster: Stoneskin, Totem of Wrath, Mana Spring, Wrath of Air
• Healer: Stoneskin, Flametongue, Mana Spring, Wrath of Air

If a paladin is in the group casting Blessing of Wisdom, replace Mana Spring with Healing Stream. BoW overrides the Mana Spring effect.

If you are around mobs that fear, replace your Earth totem with Tremor Totem.