RPers please, train me to become a monk

Following the aside, secondary Elementalists often benefit from Conjure Flame or Conjure Frost, etc., for the appropriate weapons. Some monk weapons do fire damage, so Conjure Fire could allow you to do meaningful some damage in PvE, along with AE spells like Rain of Fire. (Fire is less useful in PvP, generally.)

There are bigger issues when using healing seed than simply "gee, it's conditional, a energy hog, and not a neccessity".

First, it isn't an energy hog when you factor how long it lasts. Healing seed can be run almost constantly, at at 15 energy a shot, it can provide full constant heal for almost 20 seconds - not just to the person it's on, but everyone around him. If you have two fighters in your group, tell them to stick together. Boom, you have TWO characters getting constantly healed for the same amount of time. You don't even have to LOOK at them until their seed is about to expire.

Second, you can cast it on a player BEFORE he goes into battle. This allows you to stay safely back while he gets the monster aggroed around him, then when it's safe you can move forward to cast the next seed, or provide healing as needed.

Healing Breeze is ok - but can be overcome by attacks that take away health faster than the regen is going. I find healing breeze the situational/conditional one, not seed.

Healing seed is one of the most energy efficient skills in the game. If you're not using it, or feel it's a weak skill, then you're playing with a bunch of noobs who run around attacking without calling targets and massing the maximum amount of damage on one target at a time - the smart way to play.

Myself? I'd rather cast a seed, and sit back and relax with full energy casting a spell once in a while instead of pushing 1-3-2-4-1-3-1-2-4-8 all ngiht. Perhaps casting spells willy nilly makes you feel more "part" of the game?

I'm lazy. Seed reduces my workload by 90%.

The only reason I don't bring healing seed ever is because you can't cast it on yourself. Monks are primary target number 1 in pve and pvp. If you could cast healing seed on yourself, it would always be with me. It is worthless if you can't cast it on the person who's gonna be getting attacked. Now if you have 2 monks, both with seed, you've got something there. You can make a little healing ball with them.

My bad. I thought we were talking about PUGs, not the A-Team.

Since I have a different strategy altogether for when I am either PvEing or PvPing with my guild, I figured I'd just stick to what will help a monk get started with success. And maybe you've been incredibly lucky or I haven't, but a.) I rarely have two tanking players in a PUG who work together and b.) often I do not have someone calling targets and people paying attention to what's called.

If you have the luxury of being lazy, that's great. When you don't, there are other skills available. Learning them is the sensible thing to do.

I use 1, 3, and 4 for commonly used heal spells. Things that I would be spamming or need to use commonly. The 2 button is on my left hand's ring finger, and I don't use that finger much, so I put that skill as something emergency/not used much, such as Healing Touch, Heal Area, or Infuse Health.

The 5 button is something that is used somewhat, although not all the time. Something that is still useful enough to cast often, though, like Healing Breeze or Mend Ailment/Condition. The 8 button is for Rebirth (arguably the most important res spell) and 6 and 7 are for things I don't cast much, such as self enchantments, or things with long timers, such as Aegis.

For my protection set up I have

1 Reversal of Fortune
2 Vigorous Spirit
3 Guardian
4 Protective Spirit
5 Aegis
6 Essence Bond/Divine Boon
7 Protective Bond/Life Bond
8 Rebirth

Healing set up

1 Heal Other
2 Heal Area
3 Word of Healing
4 Dwayna's Kiss
5 Mend Ailment
6 Remove Hex
7 Divine Boon
8 Rebirth

Ahh good thing they invented healing hands or mark of protection...those things on yourself can be lifesavers!

I'll take healing touch.

A Team? I've finished the game with three different characters three different times, and all of them were PUGs. I simply tell the warriors at the start to stick together and they will never die. Works wonders when you communicate. Once the warriors know I have seed, they tend to work with me to make sure things run smoothly. In fact, using healing seed allows me to monitor the OTHER idiots that sometimes populate a group, and keep them alive with the other 5 energy one shot skills you guys seem to place all of your faith in.

And your last sentence is quite the subtle dig. Trust me, I know the skills, apparently better than most since I can use a skill quite successfully while others brush it off. If I can keep a PUG alive as the lone monk in the ring of fire, I obviously have something going on.

I repeat myself--it sounds like you've had great PUGs who communicate well. I consider those A Teams. If you don't consider them such, then I'm sure I would be deliriously happy with your version thereof. Also, since I don't belong in the categories you've generalized thus far (I do take Healing Seed and I don't rely on 5 energy one-shots), I won't wax outraged. I will reiterate, however, that you are not always likely to get the ideal set up in a PUG and thus should be prepared to swap out skills for those times when Healing Seed is a waste of a slot.
I assure you I had no intention of doing any "digging", subtle or otherwise. I have no desire to cast dispersions on your worth as a player because I have no first hand knowledge of them. You sound like you have a great deal of skill and experience, and players/readers will benefit from your advice.

That being said...

Your experiences will always be different from another player's, and you can only relate what worked for you. Granted, having ascended three monks means you have a lot of experience to relate--but apparently yours has primarily been at one end of the spectrum. My last sentence was directed at the original poster, who is the one who can benefit most from a variety of viewpoints. Casting dispersions on how other people set up their skillbars because they haven't had your sort of experience isn't very nice or beneficial to the OP.

I hope that we can agree to agree on the benefits of Healing Seed, and agree to disagree on the value/worth/skill of people who do not use Healing Seed regularly.

See, I'm more tempted to leave the hex on and use Dwayna's Kiss in order to get even more Health back to my team-mate. Sure you can take a hex off, but they're just gonna put it right back on.