1. **State the problem:** Simplify the expression $5 \times 5 - 5 \div 5$. 2. **Recall the order of operations:** Multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction, from left to right. 3. **Calculate multiplication:** $$5 \times 5 = 25$$ 4. **Calculate division:** $$5 \div 5 = 1$$ 5. **Substitute back into the expression:** $$25 - 1$$ 6. **Perform subtraction:** $$25 - 1 = 24$$ **Final answer:** $24$