I'm certain I'll get a lot of different reactions to this. From a screener's viewpoint, what I've seen work best is the following:

Have your loose pocket items and cell phone already placed inside your carry-on bag, perhaps in an outside pocket, by the time you reach the security checkpoint. If you normally remove your shoes, remove them first and place them directly on the conveyor belt. They will be the first things you will pick up at the other end. Remove your laptop and place it inside of a bin. The laptop must be x-rayed separately; however, you may place your coat with the laptop as long as you don't have anything inside the coat pockets that may obstruct the x-ray view of the laptop. A suggestion here is to place your coat in the bin first and then the laptop on top of it. This will cushion your laptop. If a screener objects to this, patiently ask for a supervisor and inform him or her that you know this is an acceptable procedure.

Before you walk through, wait until you see the last of your property get pulled into the tunnel of the x-ray machine. At some airports, you need to show your boarding pass to the screener at the WTMD, so always have it in hand even if not required at other airports.

When you come through, your shoes should be at the other end ready for you and you can slip them on immediately; if they have laces, you can tie them later. As you put them on, your laptop and coat should either already have been examined or be in the process of being examined. The next item should be your carry-on bag. Since you will already have your shoes on, you have to pick up the laptop to put your coat on. Since your carry-on will probably be delayed briefly as the x-ray operator studies the image and clears it, you can either slip your laptop into its case or simply walk with it in hand. No need to worry about your other items because they will already be inside one of the pockets of your carry-on. You can go someplace beyond the checkpoint and remove your pocket items from your carry-on at your convenience and comfort.

This suggestion isn't my idea; it's what I've observed from experienced frequent fliers who breeze through the checkpoint without any hassle. The test of our patience and understanding comes with the infrequent travellers who stop and pause at the entrance to the lane to check if there's anything inside their pockets, then alarm the WTMD because they didn't consider cell phones, cigarettes, gum wrappers and a pocket full of quarters as things that might alarm the walk through metal detector. Please pardon my sarcasm, but I truly look forward to the non-tourist season when frequent fliers are the ones who mostly come through our checkpoints.