Every teacher knows the “back row”—students who are so disengaged from the classroom and its materials that they sit as far away physically as they can. Today we even have an equivalent in distance learning: the black boxes of the students who have logged in to the lesson but appear to be otherwise unengaged with it. Surprisingly, the blended course model, in which students study through both face to face and independent, asynchronous tasks, may offer a lifeline to those students who would otherwise remain in the virtual or physical back rows. My talk examines a hybrid English proficiency course and the lessons that can be applied to EPIC courses based on this model. It focuses on the scaffolding that blended classes offer to students who are reluctant or find it difficult to take part in discussions or other types of full-group work. The talk describes how asynchronous and face to face lessons are structured to support individual learning, as well as formative assessments and feedback channels that allow teachers to see learning that might otherwise remain invisible. I call on teachers to offer and recognize a variety of ways for students to engage, wherever they choose to sit!