Always have Water Shield up on both. It is free to cast and it restores extra mana if you get hit.

Earthbind is the slowing one. Stoneclaw totems will taunt and stun mobs when they are attacked, so when you are fighting more than 1 mob drop 2 Stoneclaws to taunt/stun the mobs you are not fighting and then burn them down 1 by 1 as quickly as you can.